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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27630071">A Bees' Life</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/tptplayer5701/pseuds/tptplayer5701'>tptplayer5701</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>"Mind Games"-verse [33]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Miraculous Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bee Lila Rossi, Bee Miraculous, Evil Lila Rossi, Female Friendship, Gaslighting, Good Chloé Bourgeois, Jealous Lila Rossi, Kwami &amp; Miraculous Lore, Kwami Swap, Lila Rossi Lies, Manipulative Lila Rossi, Miraculous Holder Lila Rossi, Miraculous Holder Sabrina Raincomprix, Organized Crime, POV Antagonist, Peacock Miraculous, Peacock Sabrina Raincomprix, Post-Hawk Moth Defeat</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 05:15:09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>21,462</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27630071</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/tptplayer5701/pseuds/tptplayer5701</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A "Mind Games"-verse story:</p><p>She was just about to turn off the light and go to bed when movement at the balcony door drew her attention. She turned, curious, and her blood immediately went cold.</p><p>“Lila Rossi,” the man finally announced, staring down at her in contempt. “You may address me as ‘Night Bat.’ This is the Bee Miraculous, which grants the power of Subjection. You will use it when and how I tell you to use it. If you do otherwise, or if you should attempt to betray me, there will be… consequences.”</p><p>Lila scoffed. “You’ll what, kill me?”</p><p>Night Bat’s eyes flashed black and the lights in the room dimmed measurably. Lila swallowed hard. “No.” Her eyes widened in fear. “There are fates far worse than mere death, child,” he told her ominously. “See that you do not displease me.”</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Chloé Bourgeois &amp; Pollen, Chloé Bourgeois &amp; Sabrina Raincomprix, Lila Rossi &amp; Original Female Character(s), Lila Rossi &amp; Pollen, Max Kanté/Sabrina Raincomprix, Sabrina Raincomprix &amp; Duusu</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>"Mind Games"-verse [33]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1666807</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>31</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Prologue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Shout-out to everyone who guessed Killer Bee’s identity before now! There have been hints as far back as <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25111669/chapters/60837565">“Chloe’s Jagged Ride,”</a> but they especially ramped up in <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26066554/chapters/63396316">“The Battle for the Seine.”</a> As an aside, Lila’s head is messed up. I just thought I’d throw that out there.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="Preference">
  <b>Spring Break</b>
</p><p class="Preference">Lila lounged on her bed, idly skimming through Instagram on her new phone. She stopped flicking and glared at the picture in front of her. She had almost deleted her social media accounts three days ago when Pretty Boy Agreste announced to the world that the Vindictive Bitch was his girlfriend. She’d already known they were close from school, but she’d still held out hope that he might drop the prissy little whore when push came to shove. Of course the moment he had said that, Instagram and Twitter had been flooded with comments from the fangirls about “what a cute couple” and “tots adorable!” #Adrienette had been trending for close to a full day afterward. A few people had complained about losing Adrien to a nobody, but the Bitch’s posse had come out in force to defend her. Gullible had started posting “cute” pictures of them together from the last three years almost immediately. The fangirls had cooed. Lila had gagged.</p><p class="Preference">The only satisfaction Lila could find in this was that at least the Queen Bitch had been quiet on the social media lately.</p><p class="Preference">She scrolled past yet another picture from Gullible of #Adrienette #cuddling at the #zoo – she made a face, her knuckles turning white as the phone trembled in her hand – and finally found something that <em>didn’t</em> make her want to castrate a homeless man with a rusty grapefruit spoon.</p><p class="Preference">“Nadine,” she scoffed, clucking her tongue disappointedly. “That bikini does <em>not</em> flatter your stomach.” And yet, the smile in the picture was quite telling: she was at the beach with her family, one arm around her little brother’s shoulders –he was almost as tall as Nadine – and she was leaning back into her boyfriend Philippe’s chest. Philippe’s hands were on her hips, his chin resting on top of her short blonde hair, and it looked like all three of them were having the time of their lives. Even if Nadine <em>was</em> wearing a bikini apparently designed by the Vindictive Bitch. Lila’s nostrils flared.</p><p class="Preference">Lila swiped through some more pictures and sighed, rubbing her eyes. Break it might be, but it was still getting late. She was just about to turn off the light and go to bed when movement at the balcony door drew her attention. She turned, curious, and her blood immediately went cold.</p><p class="Preference">The man standing next to her balcony wore a black suit and cape over a grey dress shirt. A red ruby set in a gold star pendant glinted in the reflected light leaking out of her room. A midnight-black sword hung from his waist. He appeared to be hovering in midair. But the predatory look in his eyes as he examined her… The fear and horror plastered on her face as he stepped onto her balcony from the column of air that had been supporting him was not feigned.</p><p class="Preference">The man flicked his wrist, and her balcony door flew open and bounced off the wall with a crash. He stepped inside with little more than a dismissive glance around the room to make sure she was alone. He stopped at the foot of her bed and stared at her down the length of his nose as one would stare at a fly. Lila pulled her legs up and hugged them to her chest, wishing she had worn something more concealing than a spaghetti-strap pajama top, staring up into the terrifying face. Wordlessly he withdrew a black box from a pocket of his cape and tossed it on the bed at her feet. She flinched away from the box and made no move to touch it. The man rested a hand on the pommel of his sword and raised an eyebrow at her. Slowly, hesitantly, she picked up the box.</p><p class="Preference">It felt heavier than she would have expected. It was simple, made of a material similar to wood, though far too smooth. The hinges resisted as she opened it to find a golden hair comb in the shape of a bee. She recognized it instantly from the pictures on the Ladyblog. She looked up at the man in confusion.</p><p class="Preference">“Lila Rossi,” the man finally announced, staring down at her in contempt. “You may address me as ‘Night Bat.’ This is the Bee Miraculous, which grants the power of Subjection. You will use it when and how I tell you to use it. If you do otherwise, or if you should attempt to betray me, there will be… <em>consequences</em>.” Faster than Lila could blink, the sword jumped from his sheath into his hand, pointed straight at her neck. “Any minor infractions will be met with the flat of my blade.” He swung the sword and sliced through her desk cleanly. “Major infractions, and I will be less forgiving. And if at any time you should displease me…”</p><p class="Preference">Lila scoffed. “You’ll what, kill me?” she asked, arching an eyebrow in a show of confidence.</p><p class="Preference">Night Bat’s eyes flashed black and the lights in the room dimmed measurably. Lila swallowed hard. “No.” Her eyes widened in fear. “There are fates <em>far</em> worse than mere <em>death</em>, child,” he told her ominously. “See that you do not displease me, lest you discover just what such a fate might be. Or else… your mother…” He produced a disposable flip-phone from another pocket. “You are to keep this on you at all times. If you do not, I will not give you a choice. When I have need of you, I will call you.”</p><p class="Preference">Lila’s eyes shifted between Night Bat and the miraculous nervously. Even with the power of a miraculous of her own, what could she do against this monster?</p><p class="Preference">Night Bat turned on his heel and strode to the balcony door. Before leaving, however, he called over his shoulder, “If you even think about going to the so-called ‘Heroes of Paris,’ I will show you <em>exactly</em> why the Ottomans feared me.” The door slammed shut behind him and he disappeared into the night, leaving dead silence in his wake.</p><p class="Preference">Lila stared out the balcony door after him for several long minutes, waiting for him to return. When the balcony remained empty, she finally let out a shaky breath and withdrew the hair comb from the box. The moment her fingers brushed against the comb, a yellow light shot out of the comb, which lost the bee shape on the top and turned to burnt orange. The light formed together into a yellow-and-black Kwami who flew around in a tight loop-the-loop. “Greetings, my–” She froze on catching sight of Lila, her mouth hanging open in surprise. “You’re not my Queen!” she squeaked, staring wide-eyed.</p><p class="Preference">Lila scoffed. “As if I would want to be that prissy Queen <em>Bitch</em>!” She stuck out her tongue in disgust. “Why would I want to be Chloe Bourgeois?” The Kwami’s antennae drooped, and Lila schooled her expression to be more sympathetic. “I’m sorry,” she told her. “I suppose you actually liked Chloe. I imagine it must be hard for you to be separated from a holder.”</p><p class="Preference">The Kwami nodded, her lower lip trembling, and blinked back tears.</p><p class="Preference">Lila sighed and rooted around her nightstand to find the bag of chips she hadn’t finished earlier that day. “You must be hungry,” she told her, holding out the chips. The Kwami dug in with gusto. “What’s your name?”</p><p class="Preference">“My name is Pollen. I am the Kwami of Subjection, Mistress.”</p><p class="Preference">“Lila.”</p><p class="Preference">Pollen nodded, her face expressionless. “I know. My Queen spoke of you often.”</p><p class="Preference">“Bitch,” Lila muttered under her breath. Pollen looked at her curiously, and Lila smiled brightly. “So tell me about yourself!”</p><p class="Preference">Pollen spun around in excitement. “I love anything sweet – not salty things like these potato things, though I guess they’re okay for now, but I’d really love a honey drop! Do you have any honey drops? My favorite thing in the world is to find a nice sunny spot to nap! I–”</p><p class="Preference">“What other Kwamis do you interact with?” Lila asked curiously.</p><p class="Preference">“Oh, all of them!” Pollen replied brightly. “There was this one time we were all out and flying around the building and it was just <em>full</em> of the prettiest colors!”</p><p class="Preference">“What building was that?” she asked raising her eyebrows and trying not to sound too excited. “That must have been a spectacular site to behold!”</p><p class="Preference">“The Taj Mahal.” Lila gave her a confused look and Pollen giggled. “One of the Guardians visited there just before the British took India. They were going to intervene but couldn’t determine the best way to do it. So instead we all just flew around the building to look at it. Did you know–”</p><p class="Preference">“Wait!” Lila interrupted her, breathing deeply to force the irritation from her voice and smiling encouragingly at the Kwami. “This is all just so much to take in! But I’m so curious to know more! You must have so many stories about Ladybug and Cat Noir: I’d love to hear some!”</p><p class="Preference">“Absolutely!” squealed Pollen, clapping excitedly. “There was one time that Ladybug and Cat Noir were fighting a whole army through the streets of Paris! It looked like all hope was lost, and they were forced to hide in the crypts under Notre-Dame Cathedral. Fortunately, they had my miraculous with them, so Cat Noir unified our miraculous to give himself an extra boost. They had to de-transform down there, though, and I think Cat Noir even lost his sword behind one of the statues.”</p><p class="Preference">“They had to de-transform?” Lila leaned forward eagerly. “So does that mean you know who they–wait, Cat Noir uses a <em>sword</em>!?!”</p><p class="Preference">“What else was he going to use against the English?” Pollen asked matter-of-factly. “They were outnumbered by at least a thousand to one that day, so he was using his regular sword in addition to his staff and my top.”</p><p class="Preference">Lila gave her a confused look. “When did you say this happened?”</p><p class="Preference">Pollen giggled. “1429.” She sighed wistfully. “That was one of Creation’s absolute favorite holders… She still talks about her all the time, you know.”</p><p class="Preference">“But what about the current Ladybug and Cat Noir?” prompted Lila. “You must have some amazing stories about them!”</p><p class="Preference">Pollen hummed thoughtfully to herself and put her paw to her chin. “There was that one time when all the Heroes had to fight Mayura to rescue my Queen,” she replied slowly, furrowing her brows. “My Queen got knocked out, and it wasn’t until after Ladybug had finally defeated Mayura and the Akuma that she woke up.” Lila gave the Kwami a deadpan look. Pollen looked confused for a moment. “Oh… that Akuma was <em>you</em>, wasn’t it? I’m sorry for bringing it up. I know how traumatizing that experience could be. My Queen was Akumatized several times, though once she even <em>rejected</em> Hawk Moth!”</p><p class="Preference">“So what do you think about the <em>new</em> Butterfly hero?” Lila asked, latching onto that. “She hasn’t really <em>done</em> all that much – not compared to you, at least!”</p><p class="Preference">Pollen smiled. “Actually, the mark of a good Butterfly is that they can work from behind the scenes to help people without drawing attention to themselves. It’s the Bee and Ladybug who go out and do the fighting; the best Butterflies know how and when to help us out!” she explained. “So Impératrice Pourpre has been doing an amazing job of that! She is one of Transmission’s favorites!”</p><p class="Preference">“Do you know who she is?”</p><p class="Preference">“Of course!”</p><p class="Preference">“And…” Lila prompted.</p><p class="Preference">“She is kind and compassionate, always supporting others – just like any good Butterfly should do!”</p><p class="Preference">Lila sighed. “But what’s her name?”</p><p class="Preference">“Her name is Impératrice Pourpre! ‘The Purple Empress’! That’s a kind of butterfly.” Pollen flipped over to float upside-down, tapping her chin in contemplation. “You know, there was actually a Chinese prince who received the Butterfly Miraculous for a time and used a similar name, only his wasn’t from a variety of butterfly,” she mused. “He went by the name ‘The Lotus Emperor’ and used a butterfly with a lotus pattern on the wings as his symbol… He was not a bad person overall, though Transmission did seem rather unimpressed with him after the fact…”</p><p class="Preference">Lila rubbed her forehead. “Your Queen was good friends with Ladybug, wasn’t she?”</p><p class="Preference">“Naturally.” Pollen flipped back right side up and nodded.</p><p class="Preference">“So did they hang out a lot?”</p><p class="Preference">“Not all the time,” Pollen answered.</p><p class="Preference">“So who is Ladybug?”</p><p class="Preference">“Ladybug is the leader of the Heroes of Paris!” replied Pollen, beaming widely. “And I cannot remember a braver or more fearless leader – at least not in the last 500 years! The best Ladybugs are always willing to help people! I’m sure she could help you!” The Kwami nodded earnestly, looking up at Lila expectantly.</p><p class="Preference">Lila scoffed. “Not much chance of that,” she told the Kwami sadly. “If I even think about going to the Heroes of Paris, Night Bat said he will do terrible things to my mother!” She gave Pollen an evaluating look. “So I guess you need to stay away from Chloe and the Heroes of Paris, too, just in case he finds out.”</p><p class="Preference">An undecipherable look passed through the Kwami’s eyes before she nodded. “No matter what this ‘Night Bat’ threatened to do, the Heroes of Paris can protect you and your mother,” she insisted.</p><p class="Preference">Lila snorted. “You mean like they protected Chloe?” Pollen gave her a suspicious look. “I’m not an idiot: if you’re here, it’s not because Chloe gave you up willingly.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="Preference">Chloe closed her eyes and leaned back, enjoying the sensation of fingers kneading through her scalp. Honestly, it had been so long since she’d gotten the full salon treatment, she’d forgotten just how much she enjoyed it. But she’d spent half the summer running around Africa and assuring the African Miraculous Council that nothing <em>really</em> had to change now that they were all friends. And no sooner had they accepted that and planned a meeting for the team leaders in Paris than Master Fu had turned up again and Chloe had had to throw all those plans out the window and start over because apparently there was <em>another</em> temple in Australia to include in the discussion! So Chloe had spent a week in Australia working with Fu’s contact there to plan a <em>different</em> meeting in a different <em>hemisphere</em>. And <em>then</em>, while Chloe was taking a couple days to recover, Alya and Max had gone and almost started an <em>alien invasion!!!</em> Marinette had gone on the warpath, and of course Chloe had to be the one to talk her down and help them convince the Australian Guardians’ Council to let them build an actual spaceport on their island.</p><p class="Preference">And when the salon attendant had commented on the bags under her eyes, she’d just said, “School’s starting soon.”</p><p class="Preference">“You’re stewing,” Sabrina observed, pulling Chloe out of her reverie.</p><p class="Preference">She opened her eyes to find Sabrina already finished with her hair and holding out one hand to the attendant who was painting her nails. Chloe gave her a half-hearted glare. “I’ll see if I can think to myself more quietly.”</p><p class="Preference">Sabrina smirked. “You’re just jealous because I didn’t have two months’ worth of sand under my fingernails to scrape out!”</p><p class="Preference">“That’s definitely part of it.” Chloe rolled her eyes. “Though I don’t remember the last time I got so much sun!”</p><p class="Preference">“Sand?” wondered the woman washing Chloe’s hair.</p><p class="Preference"><em>Crap</em>. Normally I wouldn’t be a problem to just say “hero business,” but they were still trying to keep the international temples a secret, so… “My… cousin…’s daughter…’s friend. I was watching her over the summer.”</p><p class="Preference">Sabrina gave her a dubious look and stifled a giggle with her free hand. Chloe narrowed her eyes at her, and Sabrina arched an eyebrow back.</p><p class="Preference">A phone beeped, and the girl working on Chloe’s nails flushed. “I’m so sorry about that, Mlle,” she apologized.</p><p class="Preference">Chloe shrugged and looked away, only to see Sabrina furrowing her brows slightly. She caught Sabrina’s eye, and she nodded toward the girl, arching an eyebrow meaningfully. “No, it’s okay,” Chloe reassured the girl. “Um… what’s happening?”</p><p class="Preference">Her lower lip trembled. “That’s the thing, I…” She trailed off for a long moment before the words spilled out. “My little brother was out playing the other day when these men rolled up and started shooting at the guys sitting on our apartment building’s steps! No one was hurt, but Jean was really scared – so now he doesn’t like staying home alone anymore; he’s afraid they’ll come back.”</p><p class="Preference">Chloe’s eyebrows shot up. So <em>that</em>’s what Sabrina sensed. “Where do you live?” she asked.</p><p class="Preference">“Just a couple blocks from Église Sainte-Marie des Batignolles. This wasn’t the first time, either. There have been a few in the area over the last few weeks. And last week we had the power go out for two days!”</p><p class="Preference">Sabrina had a troubled look on her face. “My dad mentioned an increase in violence around that area,” she commented. “But he said the police were looking into it.”</p><p class="Preference">“Not fast enough.”</p><p class="Preference">Chloe hummed. “What about the Heroes of Paris?” she asked.</p><p class="Preference">The girl looked up at Chloe as though seeing her for the first time. “Oh! Of course! Queen Bee!” She froze. “I mean…”</p><p class="Preference">Chloe smirked. “No, no; feel free to fangirl all you want. I’ll even sign an autograph when my nails are dry!”</p><p class="Preference">“Sorry. It’s just… we’ve seen more heroes lately, and that’s good, but whenever the heroes leave, the violence comes back.”</p><p class="Preference">Chloe furrowed her brows. “I’ll see what I can do.”</p><hr/><p>Thirty minutes later, Chloe and Sabrina finally collected their bags of shopping and left the salon. Chloe blew on her fingers to make sure the polish was dry before running her fingers through her hair. “I finally feel human,” she observed, flicking her ponytail to one side.</p><p class="Preference">“It has been a while since we did this,” Sabrina agreed, nodding.</p><p class="Preference">“So tell me about this situation,” Chloe instructed, fixing her with a look. “What does your dad know about it?”</p><p class="Preference">Sabrina scoffed. “The police know less than <em>we</em> do,” she replied, arching an eyebrow. “Crime is down across almost the entire city since we cut Lynchpin’s legs out from under him with the smuggling. The one exception is the 17<sup>th</sup> arrondissement.”</p><p class="Preference">“That’s the one organization Lynchpin never managed to take over, right?” Chloe asked. “Who was the boss again?”</p><p class="Preference">“Andretti,” answered Sabrina unhappily. “They have ties to the Sicilian mafia, and as far as Anansi’s been able to tell, that’s the only thing that kept Lynchpin at bay for so long.”</p><p class="Preference">Chloe groaned. “But now that we’ve taken out Lynchpin’s smuggling operation, he needs a new income source.”</p><p class="Preference">“And that’s where all that violence comes in,” Sabrina finished.</p><p class="Preference">“I thought the routine patrolling was supposed to prevent more of that violence,” objected Chloe.</p><p class="Preference">Sabrina shrugged. “We can’t be everywhere.”</p><p class="Preference">“Have you sensed anything more? The Peacock <em>is</em> more sensitive, after all.”</p><p class="Preference">Sabrina shook her head. “Nothing useful. Max and I walked through the arrondissement together after Emilie and I traded yesterday, but I didn’t pick up anything to get us any closer to a solution.”</p><p class="Preference">Chloe frowned as they walked into the food court and got in line to order their food. The salon had taken a little longer than she had expected; it was almost one in the afternoon now, and her breakfast was a distant memory. The food court had started to thin out after the early lunchtime rush, at least; Chloe could pick out a handful of their lycée classmates sitting around a packed table on the far side of the room. After Sabrina picked up the tray with their food, the two girls made their way to an empty table. Chloe dropped her half-dozen bags on the floor by her chair and collapsed into it. The conversations around them blended together into a dim roar of background noise, to the point that none of it really registered for Chloe. After how busy the summer had been, Chloe was almost glad that school would be starting in a couple days.</p><p class="Preference">Almost.</p><p class="Preference">“So… are you <em>sure</em> you’ve got everything now, Chlo?” Sabrina asked, passing Chloe her salad and unwrapping her own sandwich.</p><p class="Preference">Chloe arched an eyebrow and scoffed. “Of course not! You’ve known me <em>how</em> long, girl?” she asked rhetorically, swiping her soda. “I thought by now we had the routine down!”</p><p class="Preference">Sabrina giggled. “Every year you buy a new wardrobe,” she acknowledged. “Even though it almost always looks almost exactly the same.” Chloe gave her a disbelieving look, which Sabrina returned. “Just because I never say anything doesn’t mean I don’t pay attention. But I get it: it’s your ‘signature style.’ And then this year suddenly it all has to be different.”</p><p class="Preference">“Considering how much time I spent in the sun, the yellow is just all <em>wrong</em>!” Chloe made a face.</p><p class="Preference">“Still, the tan agrees with you,” Sabrina commented.</p><p class="Preference">“It does, doesn’t it?” Chloe flipped her hair. “But after all of that, if I never see sand again it’ll be too soon!”</p><p class="Preference">“Well, with classes starting soon, there’s not much chance of that,” Sabrina observed, smirking.</p><p class="Preference">“It’s a good thing our schedules line up for a few of our classes,” Chloe noted. “School would be so <em>boring</em> otherwise!”</p><p class="Preference">Sabrina stifled a laugh. “You’re just glad I’ll be able to help you with your homework,” she teased.</p><p class="Preference">Chloe frowned on noticing how Sabrina’s lips turned down. “Still disappointed you won’t be seeing your boyfriend <em>all</em> the time at school?” she asked. Sabrina flushed. “It’s not like you won’t <em>ever</em> see him,” she consoled her. “And that might actually be a <em>good</em> thing: you don’t want people thinking you’re practically joined at the hip like <em>some</em> people I could mention…”</p><p class="Preference">Sabrina snorted and nodded ruefully. “At least we have Calculus together.” She dropped a few grapes from her fruit salad into her purse for Duusu. Chloe watched quietly, lost in thought. Sabrina put a hand on Chloe’s arm, drawing her attention. “I know you still miss her.”</p><p class="Preference">“It’s not exactly <em>easy</em> seeing that Killer <em>Bee-tch</em> running around,” Chloe admitted. “I keep thinking about what Pollen must be going through with her. Does she treat her right?”</p><p class="Preference">Sabrina let out a sigh and shrugged. “I don’t know. But now that she’s showing her face more, she <em>is</em> going to slip up, and we’re going to stop her and rescue Pollen.”</p><p class="Preference">“It’s just not fair,” Chloe complained, smacking her fist on the table.</p><p class="Preference">Sabrina nodded sympathetically. She opened her mouth to respond, but cocked her head in confusion. Chloe finally tuned in to the conversation at the table next to theirs.</p><p class="Preference">“Did you see the news about the new Bee hero?” someone had asked. Chloe recognized her as a girl in their year who’d gone to François Dupont, shorter with light blonde hair in a bob cut, leaning against a boy she didn’t recognize who had his arm around her. “TVi got a picture of her last night!”</p><p class="Preference">“There were some rumors about her on the Ladyblog a while back, weren’t there?” asked Nathaniel, a dubious look in his eyes. “Didn’t it say there might be a new <em>evil</em> Bee out there?”</p><p class="Preference">Lila scoffed. “You can’t believe <em>everything</em> you read on the Ladyblog,” she told them.</p><p class="Preference">“I don’t know about <em>that</em>,” Marc objected, frowning. “The Ladyblog’s always been a pretty reliable source for news on the Heroes of Paris.”</p><p class="Preference">“It’s so sweet of you to be so loyal to Alya since she promotes your comic books,” Lila replied dismissively, “and sure, a lot of times it’s correct. But not in this case. After all, how could Ladybug have allowed someone bad to get their hands on the Bee Miraculous?”</p><p class="Preference">The first girl, Nadine, gave Lila a look of realization. “That’s right!” she squealed excitedly. “Ladybug’s your best friend, isn’t she? So did she tell you who the new Bee is, or why there’s a new one?”</p><p class="Preference">Lila blushed delicately and replied, “I… really shouldn’t say. It’s not my place to share what happened between Chloe and Ladybug.”</p><p class="Preference">Aurore’s eyes widened. “Something happened with Ladybug and Chloe?”</p><p class="Preference">Lila gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. “Oh, I shouldn’t have said that! Ladybug will be so disappointed – and when she trusted me, too!”</p><p class="Preference">Chloe felt her blood starting to boil and clenched her hands into tight fists on the table, snapping her plastic fork in half.</p><p class="Preference">“How can there be a problem between Chloe and Ladybug?” asked Alix, eyeing Lila suspiciously. “Didn’t you see her on Heroes’ Day? Wasn’t that her running around with the Heroes a while back on patrols?”</p><p class="Preference">Lila gave Alix a patronizing look. “Then why didn’t she have a miraculous? And where was she all summer? When’s the last time <em>anyone</em> has seen Queen Bee? Who’s to say what could have happened between Ladybug and Chloe in all that time? And why <em>else</em> would Ladybug have given the Bee Miraculous to someone else?”</p><p class="Preference">Chloe would have shot out of her chair in a hot rage if Sabrina hadn’t restrained her, grabbing her shoulder and shoving her back down into the chair. “Don’t engage, Chlo,” Sabrina muttered, her eyes not leaving Lila’s face. “You know she’s not worth it…”</p><p class="Preference">Chloe released the tension in her fists marginally, exhaling slowly. Through narrowed eyes she watched Lila look around the table at their classmates, her eyes resting on Alix a little longer than the others. Lila noticed Chloe’s eyes on her and gave a tiny smirk. Chloe glared back at her, her jaw set harshly. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Nathaniel’s gaze drift to her. He was fidgeting with his thumb ring, twisting it around his finger. Chloe gave him a look, and he immediately stopped, his hands dropping into his lap. Chloe attacking Lila and forcing Geber to reveal his identity and intervene in the middle of a crowded mall food court was the <em>last</em> thing either of them needed.</p><p class="Preference">Ridiculous.</p><p class="Preference">If only someone had gotten a clear picture of Killer Bee <em>any</em> of the times she had fought the Heroes between Heroes’ Day and now. But the Champs de Mars had been entirely deserted by the time Sent-Bee and Sk8r Girl arrived to stop Amun and found Killer Bee waiting for them – the only picture Alya had received had been of Amun hovering beside the Eiffel Tower and playing with his stupid light constructs. All of the Heroes’ interdiction efforts along the Seine had happened under a cloud of secrecy in order to hide their methods and the accuracy of their raids – meaning that none of the regular press had been present, and the media had received little more than a couple sentences of information from the Paris Police after each successful raid. Max had captured images and video from his drones that showed Killer Bee and the rest of the Lynchpin-ions, but he, Marinette, and Alya had all decided it was too risky for them to publish any of it on the Ladyblog. What if someone realized where they came from? What if that gave away how close of a relationship Alya actually had with the Heroes of Paris? Alya was already in some danger as the Heroes’ preferred media contact; this would only paint a larger target on her back.</p><p class="Preference">Chloe understood the others’ reasoning. But at the moment she really wished they could have made an official statement about Killer Bee – if for no other reason than to keep <em>Lie-la</em> from dragging her reputation through the mud, pretending that she and Ladybug were fighting!</p><p class="Preference">Sabrina squeezed Chloe’s shoulder sympathetically, and she exhaled slowly, releasing yet more of her built-up tension. Attacking Lie-la wouldn’t be helpful, but it would definitely be cathartic.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="Preference">Lila carefully hefted her bags of clothes to carry out to the car. She had told the driver to return at two, and it was almost quarter after. She shrugged. She’d needed almost a completely new wardrobe anyways. She might not have gone out as often as those <em>Heroes</em> did over the summer, but it was still a hell of a workout – something she hadn’t really expected when she got the miraculous. She’d lost a few kilos of fat and gained at least that much in muscle just from her fights along the Seine, and that was without accounting for Night Bat’s latest assignment. And “baggy” was most definitely <em>not</em> in fashion.</p><p class="Preference">But even apart from the new clothes, the trip was not a waste by any means. The opportunity to see her classmates and remind them of her status as “Ladybug’s Best Friend” was always welcome. She snorted. That story had been useful in its time, but perhaps by now it had run its course. As if she needed that prudish <em>Hero</em> for a friend anymore…</p><p class="Preference">Still, she wouldn’t pass up any chance to kick a little more dirt on the Queen Bitch’s grave, especially when it came gift-wrapped like that. Add to that an opportunity to undercut the Ladyblog’s credibility and it was a pretty good day. It was unfortunate that Gullible had proven so much <em>less</em> gullible over the last year, ever since she had unceremoniously removed that first interview and issued a retraction.</p><p class="Preference">That was just one reason Lila assumed Alya was a little more “chummy” with the Heroes of Paris these days than the Ladyblog ever let on. The tone of her articles had shifted, with a little less focus on the Heroes’ private lives and identities, and a lot more focus on the Heroes’ public activities and speculation about the new crop of villains – “Lynchpin-ions” – they were facing. Who on earth thought of that stupid name for her and Mecha-Man and the others? Must’ve been that stupid Cat; <em>Gullible</em> sure as hell wasn’t clever enough for it! But if it <em>was</em> the Cat, how would Alya have known it? Add to that the sheer volume of private interviews she scored with the Heroes, and Lila had to wonder how much the Ladyblogger actually knew. And all of this after Lila had had her almost eating out of the palm of her hand for a year…</p><p class="Preference">It was a pity she still didn’t have any definitive proof of the miraculous heroes’ identities. Alix was of course Sk8r Girl – why the hell was there an “8” in her name? Even if Sk8r Girl hadn’t lost her helmet the time they fought over the summer, Alix’s reaction to her “Ladybug hates Chloe” suggestion today would have been more than enough to go by. A couple years ago, she had told those kinds of stories for a number of reasons – the attention for herself, the insult to those she didn’t like, the chance to push believability and see just how much she could get away with. But now, they served another purpose: find out who actually knows better. As it was, she could definitely cross Nadine and Aurore off the list of possible heroes, though that still left Mireille, Marc, and Nathaniel as possibilities.</p><p class="Preference">Of course, the process of identifying the Heroes would be so much simpler if her Kwami actually knew anything.</p><p class="Preference">The car was still running, waiting next to the curb just outside the mall. The trunk opened the moment Lila reached it, and she dropped her bags inside, slammed it shut, and pulled the back door open. Her foot was halfway into the car when she heard pounding footsteps behind her.</p><p class="Preference">“Lila!” called Nadine, stopping next to her and panting. “Hold up!”</p><p class="Preference">Lila turned to her with a broad smile across her face. “Why, of course! I’m so sorry for running off!”</p><p class="Preference">Nadine straightened up and brushed the creases out of her shirt. “It’s so amazing that you’re Ladybug’s friend and you can tell us what the Heroes are doing,” she gushed. “I remember when Hawk Moth was still around and Juleka was Akumatized and turned us all into clones of her – it was so confusing and scary! And when the school was overrun by zombies…” She shuddered. “I read the Ladyblog, of course, but it just isn’t the same getting information from there as it is finding out from Ladybug’s best friend!”</p><p class="Preference">Lila’s grin widened. “I’m <em>so</em> glad I can help you feel safe in these… dangerous… times!” She sighed. “I only want to use my friends and influence to help those who need it.”</p><p class="Preference">“Like the orphanages you started in Achu with Prince Ali?”</p><p class="Preference">Lila preened. “Exactly! All those poor children would have been out on the streets if I hadn’t stepped in to help them out.”</p><p class="Preference">“That’s so sweet of you! You’re just like a real-life hero!” Nadine stopped and looked at her curiously. “You <em>are</em> a real-life hero, aren’t you?”</p><p class="Preference">Lila tilted her head in confusion. “What do you mean by that?”</p><p class="Preference">Nadine frowned, furrowing her brows, and eyed Lila more closely. “It’s just… something about what you said at lunch… You said Ladybug had ‘trusted’ you like it was something <em>more</em> than just being her friend. So I was just wondering, what did you <em>really</em> mean by saying Ladybug had ‘trusted’ you?”</p><p class="Preference">Interesting. Lila opened her mouth and closed it again, wide-eyed. “I… nothing!” she replied in a too-high-pitched voice. “I didn’t mean <em>anything</em> by it!”</p><p class="Preference">Nadine’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “But then how did you know so much about Chloe and Ladybug?” she pressed.</p><p class="Preference">Lila looked around surreptitiously, grabbed Nadine’s shoulder, and led her away from the mall entrance, over to the delivery entrance. “Okay, fine,” she finally replied, glancing in either direction to make sure no one was nearby before her eyes ran along the edges of the roof above them. It absolutely wouldn’t do for one of the <em>Heroes</em> to see this… “You want to know how I know about Ladybug and Chloe?” she asked. Nadine nodded eagerly. She sighed melodramatically and withdrew the black box from her purse. “I know because… <em>I</em>’m the new Bee.” She opened the box and placed the miraculous in her hair.</p><p class="Preference">Pollen shot out of the hair comb and spun around in the air. “Hello, Lila!” she chirped excitedly.</p><p class="Preference">“Yes!” Nadine whooped, pumping her fist. “I knew it! Who <em>else</em> would Ladybug trust with a miraculous?”</p><p class="Preference">Lila smirked. Who, indeed?</p><p class="Preference">“Wait until Philippe hears about this!” Nadine giggled excitedly, watching the Kwami flutter around in tight circles between them. “This is so amazing!”</p><p class="Preference">Lila swiped Pollen out of the air and slipped her back into her purse before giving Nadine a worried look and waving her hand frantically in a hushing motion. “Yes, it’s true. Ladybug and Chloe really did have a serious falling out last spring, and Chloe’s out of the Heroes of Paris now. But we’re keeping it hush-hush, so you can’t tell <em>anyone</em> about this, okay?” she pleaded. “Ladybug trusted me, and so now I–I’m trusting you!”</p><p class="Preference">“You can definitely count on me!” Nadine assured her, nodding enthusiastically.</p><p class="Preference">“I mean it!” Lila insisted, putting her hands on the other girl’s shoulders and meeting her gaze. “That means you can’t tell <em>anyone</em>. Not Philippe, not Pierre, not your parents – no one!”</p><p class="Preference">Nadine stared at her in wide-eyed shock. “But–”</p><p class="Preference">“No ‘buts’,” Lila warned. “No one can know!”</p><p class="Preference">Nadine nodded mutely. “O–okay.” Then she brightened. “But you have to tell me <em>all</em> about the Heroes of Paris! What are they like? What’s it like going on patrols with them?” She gasped. “Ladybug’s been keeping you as her secret weapon, hasn’t she? That’s why there have been so few pictures of you on the Ladyblog! Oh, this is so awesome!”</p><p class="Preference">Lila grinned and puffed out her chest proudly. “That’s exactly it,” she agreed, nodding along. “With everything that happened this summer, Ladybug doesn’t want <em>anyone</em> knowing about the new Bee hero. If Night Bat and the other villains ever found out about me, they might never show their faces, and then I couldn’t jump in and Venom them so we can capture them!”</p><p class="Preference">Nadine looked awestruck. “Wow! So Ladybug really <em>does</em> have a plan to stop them now?”</p><p class="Preference">“Of course she has a plan,” Lila scoffed. “She’s Ladybug! She <em>always</em> has a plan! And when she doesn’t, she has me.”</p><p class="Preference">“So what’s she like?” asked Nadine, wide-eyed. “We always see her in public, but what’s she like in <em>private</em>, when it’s just the Heroes? Different from just the two of you?”</p><p class="Preference">Lila tapped her chin thoughtfully. “You know, I was actually surprised,” she replied. “I thought she would be different now that I’m a Hero, but she’s still just as amazing, still just as cool and confident. We still hang out <em>all</em> the time!” She paused for a beat. “Of course, she doesn’t really let the <em>other</em> Heroes see any of her vulnerabilities…”</p><p class="Preference">“‘Vulnerabilities’?”</p><p class="Preference">Lila gasped and covered her mouth. “Oh, I’m so stupid! I shouldn’t have said that!”</p><p class="Preference">“I promise I won’t tell anyone!” Nadine replied too quickly, worry in her face.</p><p class="Preference">“It’s just, if anyone found out about Ladybug’s secret, they’d never look at her the same way again…” She sighed heavily and glanced over to see Nadine staring at her expectantly. “Ladybug has a medical condition,” she finally admitted. “She can’t be going out on patrol all the time, so she needs the rest of us to step up. That’s why she finally gave me a miraculous.”</p><p class="Preference">Nadine gasped. “Oh, no! I had no idea!” Her eyes lit up. “I can help!”</p><p class="Preference">What.</p><p class="Preference">“I could be a Hero!” Nadine went on eagerly, not noticing Lila’s undisguised shock. “More heroes means Ladybug doesn’t have to do as much, right? So let me help!”</p><p class="Preference">Lila quickly schooled her features and furrowed her brows in thought. This was a dangerous game. But still… “I don’t know if Ladybug would agree,” she told her, grimacing. “She’s very particular about who receives miraculous…”</p><p class="Preference">“Oh, I don’t even <em>need</em> a miraculous to help!” Nadine insisted. “Plenty of other heroes don’t have miraculous: Sk8r Girl, the Owl–”</p><p class="Preference">“That’s true,” interrupted Lila, placing a hand on Nadine’s shoulder, her lower lip trembling in worry, “but they’re really good fighters already, so they can take care of themselves. I just don’t want to see you get hurt!”</p><p class="Preference">“I can take care of myself, too!” Nadine was almost bouncing on the balls of her feet in eagerness by now. “I’m really flexible and athletic…”</p><p class="Preference">
  <em>“Flexible”: that’s what you’re calling what you do with Philippe?</em>
</p><p class="Preference">“… I’ve been doing gymnastics since I could walk! And I’ve been taking taekwondo. <em>And</em> I tried fencing a couple years ago – I know a few of the heroes use fencing techniques! I picked up a little of it, but not as much as them. I can–”</p><p class="Preference">Lila cut her off with a hand over her mouth. “Fine, fine.” She sighed dramatically in resignation. “Tell you what, I’m supposed to go out on a solo mission tonight, but I <em>could</em> use some help actually. You can join me for this mission, and <em>if</em> you prove yourself tonight, I’ll put in a good word with Ladybug. Maybe then we can bring you in!”</p><p class="Preference">Nadine clapped excitedly. “Really? That’s amazing!” She threw her arms around Lila and hugged her tightly. “Thank you so much!”</p><p class="Preference">Lila patted her on the back awkwardly. “Meet me tonight at the statue of Maria Deraismes in the Square des Épinettes at nine,” she instructed her.</p><p class="Preference">As Nadine raced away from the delivery entrance, Pollen phased out of Lila’s purse and stared at her with wide eyes. She opened her mouth to say something, but Lila removed the hair comb from her hair and placed it back in the box, sucking Pollen wordlessly back into the miraculous. She was definitely playing a dangerous game. But if it worked…</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Nadine technically isn’t an original character; she actually appears as one of the new fencers in the episode “Riposte” and as a member of Mme Mendeleiev’s class in “Reflekta.” Literally everything about her (down to the name) is what I’m superimposing on her, but…</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="Preference">Chloe dropped her shopping bags on the penthouse floor and flopped across the bed. She covered her face with one arm and let out a frustrated groan. The bed shifted slightly as Bee-atrice hopped on it and padded over to Chloe. The puppy nuzzled against Chloe’s side, whining pitifully. Chloe buried her hand in the dog’s fur, and Bee-atrice licked her wrist, her tail wagging. “Sabrina, did I feed this dog yet today?”</p><p class="Preference">“What am I, your mother?” Sabrina responded, amusement in her voice.</p><p class="Preference">Chloe opened her eyes and glanced over to see Sabrina in the middle of hanging one of her new blouses in the closet. She smirked. “Well, if the shoe fits…”</p><p class="Preference">Sabrina scoffed and threw the blouse at Chloe’s head. It landed on top of Bee-atrice, who squirmed out from under it and started biting the collar. “Fine, see if I help <em>you</em> anymore!” she teased, eyes lighting up mischievously.</p><p class="Preference">Chloe rescued the blouse from Bee-atrice’s jaws and fingered the nibbled collar with a frown, running her thumb over the pulled threads to smooth them back into place as best she could. Sighing, she pushed herself up and grabbed a hanger from the closet to join Sabrina. Bee-atrice hopped up and down on the bed, yipping excitedly. Duusu flitted out of the kitchen, carrying an armful of berries which he dropped on Chloe’s nightstand. Bee bounded over to the Kwami and licked him excitedly.</p><p class="Preference">Duusu giggled and picked up a ball as big as himself, tossing it across the room. “Ready, puppy? And… fetch!” Bee yapped and chased after the ball, grabbing it in her teeth and running back, nearly colliding with the Kwami before dropping the ball on Duusu’s head.</p><p class="Preference">Chloe smiled fondly and secured the blouse on the hanger. “You know you’re so much better than Mother,” she commented to Sabrina, shoving it into the closet and carefully avoiding catching her eye.</p><p class="Preference">“Yeah…” Sabrina let out a sigh. “I’m sorry for even bringing her up. Have you even heard from her lately?”</p><p class="Preference">Chloe scoffed and forced three new dresses into the closet. “Of course not. It’s not like I’m her <em>daughter</em> or anything. I was abducted while she was here to visit, and as far as I can tell she didn’t even notice or care.”</p><p class="Preference">“Oh, that’s so <em>sad</em>,” Duusu tittered, rolling the ball again for Bee-atrice before flying up to nuzzle Chloe’s cheek. “Parents shouldn’t ignore their children like that!”</p><p class="Preference">“You would think…” muttered Chloe. “But try telling that to Audrey Bourgeois.”</p><p class="Preference">Sabrina stopped what she was doing and put an arm around Chloe’s shoulders, pulling her into a loose hug. “I know how much you want her attention, but it really isn’t worth it: you aren’t alone anymore. You’ve never <em>really</em> been alone.”</p><p class="Preference">Chloe returned the hug. “I know,” she whispered, holding back her tears. “I know I have you. And Adrien. And Marinette and Alya and the others. And Aunt Emilie. And Daddy.” Bee-atrice trotted over, her tail wagging, and rubbed against Chloe’s leg, staring up at her adoringly. She glanced down and smiled. “And you, too.”</p><p class="Preference">“But you’re still sad because friends and a puppy still aren’t the same as a mother,” Sabrina finished, squeezing her shoulder sympathetically. “And Emilie isn’t <em>actually</em> your mother.”</p><p class="Preference">Chloe gave her a look. “It’s still weird that you can do that.” She let out a breath. Last year this would have gone so differently. Last year she probably wouldn’t have helped Sabrina hang her new clothes – and Sabrina would have simply accepted that with a smile. Last year she had been the one with the miraculous, not Sabrina. Last year she was the one who called all the shots, and Sabrina had seemed content with just following her lead. Last year she would never have accepted comfort from Sabrina – or anyone else for that matter. But last year – at least before the summer – she would also have been largely alone, despite being surrounded by people.</p><p class="Preference">She couldn’t exactly say she missed the way things had been between them last year.</p><p class="Preference">Still, the lack of her miraculous… “Am I the only one wondering now if it wasn’t a mistake to hide the fact that I–that–that the Bee is missing?” she asked, swallowing heavily and raising an eyebrow at Sabrina. “Don’t get me wrong, it was the right call at the time, but still. The way Lila was talking today, that could really come back and bite us in the ass.”</p><p class="Preference">Sabrina frowned. “If today was any indication,” she began, sighing reluctantly, “you’re probably right. But it’s still Lila who was saying it, though.”</p><p class="Preference">Chloe scoffed, arching her eyebrow. “Because people <em>never</em> believe Lie-la.”</p><p class="Preference">Sabrina flushed. “She can be <em>very</em> persuasive!”</p><p class="Preference">“Exactly.” Chloe sighed and flopped onto the sofa. Bee-atrice hopped up next to her, climbed into her lap, and lay down, licking Chloe’s hand. “Would you have doubted her if you didn’t know for a fact who Ladybug is, that she absolutely despises Lila, and that every word of Lila’s story about a fight between me and Labybug is complete and total bullshit?”</p><p class="Preference">Sabrina let out a breath and poured a couple glasses of water in the sink before joining Chloe on the sofa. “Probably not,” she admitted, looking away sadly. “I’m sorry she’s targeting you this time.”</p><p class="Preference">Chloe snorted. “It’s not like we were ever actually going to be <em>friends</em>, girl! She’s hated me almost as much as Marinette since we first met!” She frowned. “I never should have even <em>hinted</em> to her that I might not be Queen Bee again…”</p><p class="Preference">“She’s probably been waiting for Killer Bee to show her face so she could pull this stunt and pretend that you and Ladybug were fighting,” Sabrina agreed, nodding.</p><p class="Preference">“Her story <em>was</em> pretty well thought out…” Chloe mused slowly.</p><p class="Preference">“What are you thinking?” Sabrina asked. She cocked her head and gave Chloe an intense look. “No.”</p><p class="Preference">“You read <em>emotions</em>, not <em>minds</em>,” Chloe retorted, arching an eyebrow.</p><p class="Preference">“<em>Your</em> mind isn’t exactly <em>hard</em> for me to read!” Sabrina observed, giggling. “But I don’t think Lila’s necessarily Killer Bee.”</p><p class="Preference">“And what makes you so sure?”</p><p class="Preference">“Her emotions,” she replied calmly. “When she was telling her story today, her emotional state was no different from any other time she’s told some big elaborate lie for no other reason than to get attention and dupe whoever will listen to her. She felt the same smug self-satisfaction today talking about Ladybug that she felt over the summer talking about base-jumping off the Grand Canyon, or that she felt talking about surfing with Marc Wahlman along the Riviera over Spring Break. That’s just her baseline emotional state when she’s lying.”</p><p class="Preference">Chloe furrowed her brows. “That may be true,” she admitted, “but I still don’t think we can dismiss her. We need to watch her.”</p><p class="Preference">“More than we’ve already been watching her?” Sabrina asked rhetorically. “I mean, we’ve <em>been</em> keeping an eye on her all along – the only way we could keep a <em>closer</em> eye on her would be to put cameras in her apartment. And as much as Marinette would <em>like</em> to do that–”</p><p class="Preference">“–and me…” Chloe muttered.</p><p class="Preference">“As much as you and Marinette would <em>both</em> like to cover every centimeter of her room with spy cameras and have Max trail her with a drone,” Sabrina amended with a smile, “that feels like overkill, to say nothing of a violation of her privacy… And it’s not like Lila’s really done anything suspicious in the last year…” Chloe gave her a dubious look. “Or at least not suspicious for <em>her</em>.”</p><p class="Preference">“Maybe not,” Chloe conceded. “But <em>don’t</em> tell me you didn’t think the same thing…”</p><p class="Preference">Sabrina nodded. “I did. It’s too bad you never found anything to conclusively prove she was working with Hawk Moth willingly and not just another poor victim like the rest of us.”</p><p class="Preference">“Don’t remind me.”</p><p class="Preference">Sabrina patted her arm sympathetically, and Chloe allowed herself a small smile. She rubbed Bee-atrice’s head behind her ears, and the puppy’s eyes lolled back in pleasure, panting happily.</p><p class="Preference">“You don’t need to worry,” Duusu assured her, settling on Bee’s head. “You have us!”</p><p class="Preference">Sabrina’s phone chimed with a new message. “It’s not <em>all</em> bad news,” she commented, smiling. “That was Max: he thinks that he and Alya finally rooted out the last police mole in the 17<sup>th</sup> Arrondissement.”</p><p class="Preference">“Took them long enough,” observed Chloe. “But how long is it going to last?”</p><p class="Preference">“Hopefully at least long enough to calm down the turf war,” Sabrina pointed out.</p><p class="Preference">“It had better.” Chloe frowned. While she didn’t exactly lose sleep over the criminals on either side getting shot, just last night a young family had been caught in the crossfire. Carapace and Multiplice had been on the opposite side of the city when the shootout began, and had only arrived after the dust had settled. It was Sabrina’s first night with the Peacock, and she had sent a sentiguard to protect them, but it had almost arrived too late.</p><p class="Preference">“With as much as we’ve been doing on our own before now, perhaps this is the break we need to put an end to it,” Sabrina suggested hopefully. She tapped out a quick message on her phone.</p><p class="Preference">Chloe hummed pensively. “Maybe we can actually stop this thing now, if the police are actually on our side.”</p><p class="Preference">Sabrina stared at her phone and frowned. “The interesting thing,” she finally replied, “is that this mole seems to have been working for <em>Andretti</em>, and <em>not</em> for Lynchpin.”</p><p class="Preference">“So what does Max think about that?”</p><p class="Preference">Sabrina shrugged. “He doesn’t know what to think about it,” she answered. “It does take away Andretti’s only advantage over Lynchpin.”</p><p class="Preference">Chloe snorted. “Good. If they’re on an even playing field now, then maybe they can get rid of <em>each other</em> and spare us the trouble!” She stopped and thought. “Who’s scheduled for patrol tonight?”</p><p class="Preference">“Ryoku and Viperion,” replied Sabrina promptly. “Why?”</p><p class="Preference">“Well…” Chloe began slowly, a mischievous glint in her eye, “with the police clean now, perhaps this would be a good time to go out and take a closer look at what’s going on. I mean, who knows what kind of trouble there could be tonight? Maybe we crack it wide open! And I’m sure those two will be… busy…”</p><p class="Preference">Sabrina giggled. “You just want an excuse to beat someone up, don’t you?”</p><p class="Preference">Chloe shrugged. “We can do two things at once!” She gave Sabrina a nervous look. “So… are you in?”</p><p class="Preference">Sabrina thought for a minute and nodded. “Sure. For as much fun as it is sitting on the sidelines, going out tonight would be a nice change of pace.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>For anyone who’s confused, or new, while Sabrina usually uses the Butterfly Miraculous, since chapter 8 of “The Woman out of the Fridge,” Emilie has been training Amelie with the Peacock and Sabrina with both the Butterfly and Peacock. This means that sometimes (though rarely) Sabrina is using the Peacock. And between chapters 13 and 14 of “Fridge,” Emilie swapped miraculous with Sabrina (which is why this story is happening now).</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="Preference">Lila threw the door open and bounded out a little before nine, just as her mother was returning home from the embassy. “Ciao, Mamma!” she called, smiling widely and stepping to one side to allow her mother through the door.</p><p class="Preference">“Lila, <em>bella</em>, I’m so sorry I had to go in today – and on a weekend, too. I still can’t believe work kept me so late tonight.” Her mother pulled her into a quick hug and placed a peck on her cheek. “The Ambassador was so busy with the paperwork for this new trade deal, and he couldn’t get it to me until after six, and then he needed it transcribed in time for the summit to start tomorrow and…” She sighed regretfully. “I promise we will have dinner together tomorrow night, okay?”</p><p class="Preference">“Of course, Mamma,” Lila assured her, rolling her eyes when her mother’s back was turned. If she had a Euro for every time her mother had promised they would eat dinner together only to break that promise, she would have enough to buy a yacht! She surreptitiously checked her pocket to make sure she still had the box holding her miraculous, along with a sugar cookie for Pollen.</p><p class="Preference">“You have fun tonight with your friends at this party,” her mother told her, dropping her bag on the floor just inside the living room before collapsing onto the couch. “We’ll catch up tomorrow and you can tell me all about your classes this year. Does that sound good, <em>bella</em>?”</p><p class="Preference">Lila nodded obediently. They wouldn’t “catch up tomorrow” of course, but that was just part of their routine. Lila pretended to listen, and her mother pretended to care. She could go through the whole routine on autopilot – and did on occasion when her mother stayed late at the Embassy. Leaving the apartment building behind she turned toward the northeast and set a brisk pace, walking almost as far as the Avenue Foch before finding a darkened alley in which to transform. She withdrew the hair comb from its box and placed it in her hair as Pollen emerged from it.</p><p class="Preference">“Hello, Lila,” the Kwami greeted her, smiling broadly. Lila held out the cookie, which Pollen ate in two bites. “What are we doing tonight?” she asked when she was finished.</p><p class="Preference">“We’re doing what we’re told to do,” Lila replied irritably.</p><p class="Preference">“Why?”</p><p class="Preference">“You know why.”</p><p class="Preference">Pollen raised an eyebrow dubiously. “You never struck me as the type to just follow orders,” she observed slowly. “Even before you were my holder I always got the impression you preferred to tell people what to do, not be told yourself.”</p><p class="Preference">“Maybe you just don’t know me as well as you think you do.”</p><p class="Preference">“And whose fault is that?” She folded her arms and jutted her chin out.</p><p class="Preference">“It’s not like I can wear your miraculous all the time when I’m around Chloe practically every day,” Lila argued. “She’d probably recognize it, even camouflaged. You <em>know</em> why I have to be careful!”</p><p class="Preference">“Then why reveal yourself to Nadine? Why pull your friend into this?”</p><p class="Preference">Lila scoffed. “<em>You’re</em> one to talk: Chloe revealed her identity to the world! All I did was tell one friend. And besides, she’d guessed it already,” she pointed out. “I had to do something.”</p><p class="Preference">“And that something was to pretend to be a hero and drag her along in your mission for Night Bat? What if she gets hurt?”</p><p class="Preference">Lila rolled her eyes. “It’s not like I’m forcing her to do anything. She wants to be a hero, and tonight she gets to go out and play hero.”</p><p class="Preference">Pollen frowned, looking down at Lila.</p><p class="Preference">“I don’t need <em>your</em> judgment,” Lila grumbled. “Isn’t ‘Subjection’ about getting people to do what you want them to do?” Pollen opened her mouth to respond, but Lila quickly cut in with, “Pollen, Buzz on,” and the Kwami’s words went unspoken as she was sucked into the miraculous.</p><p class="Preference">Transformed, the trip to the Square des Épinettes took no more than five minutes of swinging between buildings. In spite of herself, Killer Bee’s attitude improved and she grinned in delight on feeling the wind whipping through her hair. Watching Ladybug and her stooges run around the city for the last three years playing hero, she had always scoffed at their propensity for just having “fun” with the miraculous. Though she had never seen one up close, the few times she had been Akumatized she had realized just how much power the miraculous could grant. As Volpina, she could cause anything to be perceived as reality; as Chameleon she could become anyone she wanted to be. And that was just with the power that an Akuma could grant – power which could be taken away by the Butterfly Miraculous user. But now that she had a miraculous of her own, she didn’t have to rely on anyone else for her power. With the Bee, she could immobilize anyone she wanted, just by getting close.</p><p class="Preference">And yet, all of that power still somehow paled in comparison with the sheer exhilaration of swinging through the city, looping her top around buildings and light poles and flinging herself through the air as though she were flying. She landed on the sidewalk a block from the Rue Guy Môquet and put on a burst of speed. She threw her top to loop around a balcony railing and reeled herself up to rocket straight into the air, releasing the railing as she passed it. For a moment, she was completely airborne, sailing over the street. At the apex of her arc, just when she felt the moment of weightlessness before gravity took over again, she twisted around to point her feet at the roof of the closest building. She broke into a dead sprint on landing and flung herself full-speed across the gap between that building and the next one, only stopping when she threw herself off the building on the edge of the Square des Épinettes. She dove between the branches of one of the trees lining the park, hit the ground in a somersaul, and rolled to her feet in front of the statue, her arms raised in the air. Applause drew her attention to the person leaning against the statue. She cocked her head, staring in confusion. “What are you wearing?”</p><p class="Preference">“Do you like it?” asked Nadine, standing up straight and twirling. She wore a blue-and-white long-sleeved leotard with a pair of white athletic shoes. In the light from one of the streetlamps, Killer Bee could see that she had applied thick red face paint to the top half of her face in an approximation of a mask. “I used this for one of my last competitions. Call me ‘La Gymnaste’!”</p><p class="Preference"><em>That can’t </em>possibly<em> be comfortable</em>, thought Killer Bee. <em>Or warm. But…</em> “Well, you at least <em>look</em> like a hero. I’m sure the boys would be all over you if they saw this. <em>Philippe</em> wouldn’t be able to keep his hands off you! Are you sure you want <em>that</em> kind of attention?”</p><p class="Preference">La Gymnaste flushed the same color as her face paint. “Oh, um, you think so?” she asked, looking away with a frown. Her face brightened and she unclipped a small cylinder from her belt and pressed a button to extend it to over a meter in length. She held the staff in one hand and spun it around once before settling into a fencing stance, holding the staff loosely and pointing it at Killer Bee’s chest, grinning in excitement. “Thank you <em>so much</em> for letting me come with you tonight!” she gushed. “This is going to be so awesome!”</p><p class="Preference">“It <em>is</em> going to be awesome!” Killer Bee agreed, grinning widely. She took in the other girl’s excited face and posture. The staff didn’t look like it would stand up to the least of Cat Noir’s strikes, but still. It was probably better than nothing. “Just be careful with that thing.”</p><p class="Preference">“You don’t have to worry about me,” La Gymnaste assured her. She spun her staff one more time before slamming it into the pavement with a flourish to collapse it. She returned it to her hip and added, “I can take care of myself!”</p><p class="Preference">“I sure hope so. That’s what we’re going to find out tonight!” Killer Bee promised, nodding firmly. “Ladybug really wants to know how well you perform on our mission. If you pass this test, maybe she’ll let you join the Heroes of Paris!”</p><p class="Preference">“That would be so cool!” Nadine clasped her hands, her eyes widening in excitement. “Let’s do this!”</p><p class="Preference">Killer Bee nodded and set off to the south. “Our target is three blocks from here,” she called behind her. “See if you can keep up!” She threw her top around a tree branch and launched herself into the air, sailing out of the park before looping the top around a balcony railing. She swung from side to side across the street and turned down the next street. Just before swinging down that street, she caught a glimpse of La Gymnaste behind her, running as fast as she could in a bid to keep up with her breakneck pace. Killer Bee allowed herself a small smirk: she couldn’t make this <em>too</em> easy on Nadine…</p><p class="Preference">One block from the target Killer Bee dropped down into an alleyway to wait for La Gymnaste. While she waited, she looked over to check out the target. She frowned: she would have expected more guards than just the two she saw in front of the door. A tiny flicker of light from the far side of the street drew her attention. She nodded in recognition: there was another guard over there. But those three appeared to be alone; the last few weeks’ attacks had certainly thinned the ranks.</p><p class="Preference">All too easy.</p><p class="Preference">Heavy breathing signaled La Gymnaste’s arrival. She would have run past the alley, had Killer Bee not tossed her top around her torso and yanked her backward into the alley. La Gymnaste opened her mouth to yelp in surprise, but Killer Bee clamped a hand over her mouth before she could shout. “Shh!” she hissed. “We don’t want to warn the guards, do we?”</p><p class="Preference">“How was I supposed to know?” replied La Gymnaste, wide-eyed. Killer Bee released her, and she took a quick peek around the corner. “What’s the mission, Lila?”</p><p class="Preference">“Call me ‘Killer Bee,’” she corrected quickly. She stepped up next to La Gymnaste and pointed at the apartment building halfway down the street. “The leader of a major crime organization lives there,” she explained. “They’ve been causing a lot of problems lately, and Ladybug thinks we can put a stop to them tonight if we can capture their leader.”</p><p class="Preference">“I heard about all those shootings in this area,” La Gymnaste whispered, her eyes narrowing as she watched the two guards by the building’s entrance talk back and forth, facing away from the street.</p><p class="Preference">“If we succeed tonight, then there might never be another one of those shootings,” Killer Bee told her. “We capture the leader, bring him back to headquarters for interrogation to find out all about his organization, and then Ladybug ships him off to the police to deal with.”</p><p class="Preference">La Gymnaste nodded briskly, staring at the guards. “So what do you need me to do, Killer Bee?”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>“Duchesse Bleue” is Sabrina with the Peacock Miraculous. Emilie and Amelie use La Paonne and La Paonne Deux, so this is a way to distinguish herself. “Impératrice Pourpre” is derived from the name of a common French butterfly; “Duchesse Bleue” continues that nobility theme but shows she’s not as “high” as La Paonne.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="Preference">Just after sunset, Chloe and Sabrina left Le Grand Paris together, Chloe already in her Sent-Bee uniform, and started making their way northwest. A couple blocks from the hotel, Sabrina ducked into an alley to transform. Sent-Bee gave her an approving nod: Duchesse Bleue’s suit looked very similar to Impératrice Pourpre, though with a dress of navy blue instead of light purple and a peacock insignia replacing the butterfly. With that out of the way, they resumed their jog side by side toward the 17th Arrondissement. Sent-Bee set a brisk pace, though she could tell that Duchesse Bleue was holding back for her sake. She frowned: for all the gadgets Max had come up with to help her keep up with miraculous users, he still hadn’t come up with something to help her actually <em>keep up</em> with them on patrol!</p><p class="Preference">Still, it could be worse: she could have roller skates like Sk8r Girl.</p><p class="Preference">“Do you think Pegasus could design a jetpack for me?” Sent-Bee asked, turning to Duchesse Bleue.</p><p class="Preference">“He’s thought about it,” she responded, nodding, “but we haven’t had much need for them before now. I think the Americans are trying to develop one already.”</p><p class="Preference">Sent-Bee hummed and unconsciously adjusted the straps on her carrying bag so it would sit better on her chest. In the bag, Bee-atrice yipped excitedly, her tongue hanging out and ears turning in either direction to take in the sounds of the city. “Okay, I can admit it,” she observed, glancing down into the puppy’s ecstatic face. “For as weird as it feels carrying Bee like an actual baby, Max knew what he was doing with this thing.”</p><p class="Preference">Duchesse Bleue smiled. “It’s adorable that you bring Bee out with you for these patrols.”</p><p class="Preference">“As long as she doesn’t get in the way or get hurt…” Sent-Bee agreed. She wagged a finger in the puppy’s face, drawing her attention. “You remember our agreement, right?” Bee-atrice looked back up at her and barked eagerly before licking her finger. “You’re ridiculous.”</p><p class="Preference">“Utterly ridiculous,” Duchesse Bleue finished, giggling.</p><p class="Preference">When the two heroes crossed the street into the 17th Arrondissement about 30 minutes later, Sent-Bee frowned. “Do you smell that?” she asked, sparing a glance for Duchesse Bleue. In her carrying bag Bee-atrice whined, her ears laying flat against her head.</p><p class="Preference">Duchesse Bleue nodded. “Gunpowder. And ozone.” She cocked her head before breaking into a sprint. “I hear something from over here! Come on!”</p><p class="Preference">Sent-Bee raced after her, but soon fell behind as Duchesse Bleue took full advantage of her miraculous-enhanced speed. However, it was less than a block before Sent-Bee could finally hear the noise that had drawn her attention: rapid gunfire, intermingled with the screams of wounded men. She put on a burst of speed, pulling the quick-release on Bee-atrice’s carrying bag to drop the puppy out the bottom. Bee landed on her paws as Sent-Bee jumped over her, and galloped after her as quickly as her tiny legs would carry her. The moment the bag was empty, it contracted back into the front of Sent-Bee’s padded suit. The noises in front of her grew louder and louder, until she skidded to a stop, eyes wide, and took in the warzone spread out in front of her.</p><p class="Preference">Along a residential street lined with apartment buildings, two groups of men seemed to be in the middle of a pitched battle, lit on both sides by the flickering flames coming from cars that had been set ablaze by errant shots. On one side were five or six men who had taken shelter behind a pair of parked cars, sticking their heads out intermittently to fire conventional handguns at their attackers. On the other side were no less than a dozen men in four SUVs who were pouring a continuous stream of energy beams into the cars behind which the other men hid. As Sent-Bee watched, an energy beam melted through the engine block of one of the cars the first group was hiding behind, spilling gasoline on the ground. The two men behind the car stumbled away, moments before another energy beam struck the gas and it caught fire. The car itself exploded, sending a plume of fire and debris into the air where it was picked up by the wind. The men themselves fell to the ground on their faces, covering the backs of their heads with their arms.</p><p class="Preference">Duchesse Bleue stood with her eyes closed and forehead creased in concentration, a hair band in her hand. In front of her an enormous blue elephant was in the process of forming on the ground. The elephant reared back on its legs, raised its head, and let out a resounding trumpet, drawing all eyes to its presence. Duchesse Bleue opened her eyes. “If they’re not careful, they’re going to set those buildings on fire!”</p><p class="Preference">“You take care of those guys,” Sent-Bee ordered, eyes lighting up with exhilaration. “I’ve got Lynchpin’s goons!”</p><p class="Preference">As the senti-elephant lumbered into the street, trampling a burning car and extinguishing its flames before placing itself in front of the nearest apartment building, Sent-Bee raced down the street, aiming straight at the closest Lynchpin SUV. She pulled a yo-yo from her belt and threw it to loop around the barrels of the two energy rifles sticking out of the windows. She tugged on the string, pulling the barrels up and away from their target just as they discharged, sending energy bolts into the senti-elephant’s flank and eliciting a bellow. With another pull she jerked the rifles out of the men’s limp grip to clatter on the ground next to the SUV. Finally, as she ran past the vehicle, she pulled a synth-Venom grenade from a pouch on her belt and tossed it through one of the open windows. The grenade burst in the center of the vehicle, splashing synth-Venom on the men in the backseat. The startled driver slammed on the gas, and the SUV rear-ended the one in front of it, propelling it forward and starting a chain reaction through all four vehicles. The rear vehicle’s tires whined as it pushed the others forward.</p><p class="Preference">The doors on the lead SUV opened, and a quartet of men emerged, shaking their heads in discomfort and confusion. One raised his rifle and aimed at Sent-Bee, who planted her hand on the hood of the rear vehicle and slid over it to drop down on the opposite side from the gunmen. Checking the men in the next SUV, she found them dazed. A quick spray from her synth-Venom gun, and none of those men moved again.</p><p class="Preference">An energy blast cut through the space between the next two SUVs just as Sent-Bee passed, forcing her to dive to the ground for cover. She scrambled forward, placing the body of the SUV between herself and the gunmen, and stole a glance under the SUV’s body to see three pairs of feet. She tossed her yo-yo to loop around one man’s ankle and pulled as hard as she could. The man cried out in surprise and crashed to the ground, his legs splayed in either direction. Sent-Bee quickly squirted him in the face with synth-Venom and he froze, his mouth open in an expression of pain. Another man crouched down and poked his rifle under the SUV without presenting any exposed skin for her to target, and Sent-Bee jumped off the ground just as he fired, grabbing onto the luggage rack to hold herself off the ground. The wild spray of energy cut a wide swath underneath her, bursting both tires on that side of the SUV and melting the edge of the sidewalk. Sent-Bee nearly lost her grip as the SUV settled.</p><p class="Preference">“Duchesse… little help here?” Sent-Bee muttered into her communicator.</p><p class="Preference">“Sorry,” Duchesse Bleue grunted, sounding a little winded. “A couple of them escaped into the apartment building, and they’re holding a family hostage!”</p><p class="Preference">Sent-Bee grumbled to herself but planted her feet on the SUV’s door and scrambled up the side to crouch on its roof. The one man still knelt and fired blindly under the SUV while the other stood facing the opposite direction, continuing to pour energy into the van behind which the last two Andretti men hid. The senti-elephant had positioned itself behind that van and was using its trunk to spray water from a destroyed fire hydrant onto the apartment building roof, where Sent-Bee could see small wisps of smoke from explosive residue. A shout near the front-most SUV drew her attention as the three men standing there turned their energy rifles on her. She spun around and sprang off the SUV feet-first, planting her feet in the standing man’s back and riding him to the ground. He hit with a dull thud and she dropped to one knee on his back. A quick shot of synth-Venom froze the kneeling man, and she rushed forward, closing the distance to the last three men faster than they could react. The first man raised his gun like a club. Sent-Bee heard high-pitched barking near her feet, and Bee-atrice leapt at the thug, sinking her teeth into his shin through his jeans and knocking him off-balance. Sent-Bee threw out her arm and pushed him to the side, slamming his head into the SUV. He dropped to the ground whimpering in pain. Bee-atrice ran up his chest and growled in his face. He yelped in surprise and drew up his hands to protect himself.</p><p class="Preference">Sent-Bee spun under a wild punch from the next gunman, catching him in the chest with a kick. He pinned her foot against his chest, and she allowed her momentum to bring her other foot up into his chin. He stumbled backward to the ground with Sent-Bee on top. Her back slammed into the ground, eliciting a pained groan from her. Bee-atrice padded over to her and licked her hand. She rubbed the puppy’s head and pushed her head up, to find the last man aiming his energy rifle at her head. Her head dropped back to the ground. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” she groaned.</p><p class="Preference">“Don’t move or you’re toast, <em>hero</em>,” the man ordered, glaring down at her furiously.</p><p class="Preference">“Yeah, yeah, you jackasses all sing the same tune,” she retorted, glaring back into his face defiantly. Bee growled, and Sent-Bee grabbed the puppy’s collar, restraining her.</p><p class="Preference">At that moment a blue fan whipped across, knocking the man’s rifle away from her head. Still on the ground, Sent-Bee surged forward and kicked him in the side of the knee as hard as she could. It dislocated with an audible pop. The man screamed and fell to the ground, clutching his knee, just as Duchesse Bleue raced over and kicked him in the head.</p><p class="Preference">“Sorry, Chlo,” she wheezed, reaching down to help Sent-Bee to her feet. “I got here as fast as I could.”</p><p class="Preference">Sent-Bee nodded and took Duchesse Bleue’s offered hand. “Perfect timing as always,” she assured her.</p><p class="Preference">“Police are on the way,” Duchesse Bleue reported. She nodded over to where the senti-elephant stood over a small pile of semiconscious criminals.</p><p class="Preference">An explosion lit up the night from the far north side of the arrondissement. Both heroes turned to stare, identical expressions of shock on their faces.</p><p class="Preference">“Sorry,” came Ryoku’s voice over the communicators. “There was another shootout and I… might’ve gotten carried away with the lightning!”</p><p class="Preference">Sent-Bee frowned. “We get rid of the last mole in the precinct, who <em>happens</em> to work for Andretti, not Lynchpin, and that same night all hell breaks loose between Lynchpin and the Andrettis? Please tell me that’s a coincidence.”</p><p class="Preference">Duchesse Bleue gave her an unhappy look. “It sure doesn’t feel very coincidental.”</p><p class="Preference">“You know the next logical place for Lynchpin to hit, right?”</p><p class="Preference">Duchesse Bleue started jogging north, leaving the senti-elephant behind to guard the unconscious and semi-conscious prisoners. “Go after the henchmen as a distraction while he cuts off the head?”</p><p class="Preference">“You read my mind,” agreed Sent-Bee, scooping Bee up into her arms and running to keep up. The building where Lorenzo Andretti lived was only four blocks away, but she could already see there was a problem when they were only halfway there. The streetlight in front of the apartment building had been shattered, leaving the street in partial darkness, long shadows being cast down the street from the streetlights on opposite corners. One of those shadows flew up to an upper-story window as if pulled on a rope. Meanwhile another figure stood under the broken streetlight beside a pair of dark lumps.</p><p class="Preference">They were less than a block away when Duchesse Bleue stopped. “I’d better recharge first, just in case.”</p><p class="Preference">Sent-Bee nodded firmly. “I’ll go on ahead and see what’s happening.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="Preference">Killer Bee raced out of the alleyway, La Gymnaste hot on her heels. Before the three guards in front of the building knew what was happening, Killer Bee had already trapped the two directly in front of her in her top string. She swung them up off the ground and looped them around the streetlight bar. One flailed with his leg, kicking the light and plunging the street into darkness, before they crashed down to the ground as Killer Bee released the string’s hold on them. One struck his head on the sidewalk with a wet thud. The other landed with his leg at an unnatural angle, screaming in agony. Meanwhile, La Gymnaste had already taken advantage of the other guard’s distraction to smack him in the back of the head with her collapsible staff. He pitched forward into the street, hitting his head on a parked car.</p><p class="Preference">“Stay here and keep an eye out!” Killer Bee instructed, looping her top around the topmost balcony railing.</p><p class="Preference">“You can count on me, Killer Bee!” La Gymnaste replied, popping an eager salute.</p><p class="Preference">Killer Bee pulled on her string and launched into the air, rocketing upward. Less than a meter from the balcony she released the string and spun into a flip which carried her over the railing to land catlike on the balcony, bending her knees as she did so to avoid making any noise. She carefully peered through the sheer curtain to see the room beyond darkened with the lights out. If her informants were correct, this was Andretti’s children’s room. She flicked a pocketknife out of her top’s tip, slid it into the doorjamb, and popped the latch free. The door slid open with a faint creak, and she winced. However, the only sound she heard in the room was that of soft breathing. She let out a relieved breath. The children waking up was the last thing she needed. Her miraculous-enhanced vision and the thin slit of light coming in under the hallway door allowed her to navigate the dark room easily.</p><p class="Preference">She froze with her hand on the door. She could just barely hear the soft padding of footsteps in the hallway. A shadow passed in front of the door. Killer Bee slunk back behind the door as it slowly pushed open. A woman’s head poked into the room: Andretti’s wife. She looked at the two beds fondly before her eyes swept the rest of the room. She was just about to shut the door again when her eyes settled on Killer Bee. Her eyes widened in shock and she opened her mouth to scream.</p><p class="Preference">Quick as lightning Killer Bee darted forward and clamped her hand over the woman’s mouth, dragging her backward into the room and pulling her into her chest, pinning the woman’s arms to her sides. Killer Bee wrapped one arm around her neck and squeezed tightly with her elbow, exactly the way that Le Tirreur had shown her. The woman struggled weakly for a minute before she finally succumbed to the lack of oxygen and passed out. Killer Bee slowly released her and slid her down to rest with her back against the bedroom wall. She slipped through the door and out into the hallway, closing it softly behind her.</p><p class="Preference">“Maria?” a man’s voice called from the bedroom at the far end of the hallway. “How are the children?”</p><p class="Preference">“Your children are fine,” Killer Bee replied as she stepped into the bedroom to find Andretti lying on the bed in his night robe, a glass of water in one hand and a book in the other.</p><p class="Preference">Andretti slowly rose to his feet, a raised eyebrow his only indication of surprise at her presence in his apartment. He idly stroked the back of his light green pinky ring with his thumb as he examined her. “Did the Lynchpin send you?”</p><p class="Preference">“What do you think?” Killer Bee stalked closer, spinning her top casually to one side.</p><p class="Preference">“My kids?”</p><p class="Preference">“Still asleep in bed.”</p><p class="Preference">“And my wife?”</p><p class="Preference">Killer Bee scoffed. “She’ll have a headache when she wakes up, but she’ll wake up.”</p><p class="Preference">Andretti nodded. “I suppose you want my gratitude for sparing my family? In the old country they would not show such mercy.”</p><p class="Preference">“No, they would not,” Killer Bee agreed. “Good thing for you I’m not Mafia. Although you <em>have</em> tried our patience: I wouldn’t be here if you had just accepted any one of our offers.”</p><p class="Preference">“This has been my family’s territory and business for two generations,” Andretti retorted, eyes narrowing. “I will not submit to some upstart who appeared from nowhere last year!”</p><p class="Preference">Killer Bee arched an eyebrow at him. “Isn’t that where all the families came from? Nowhere? They just got their start sooner. What makes us any different?”</p><p class="Preference">“I paid my dues to get where I am,” replied Andretti, chin jutting out arrogantly. “Where is your Lynchpin? Why should anyone respect or follow him when he has never gotten his own hands dirty?”</p><p class="Preference">“Who says the Lynchpin hasn’t?” Killer Bee darted forward, muttering “Venom” under her breath.</p><p class="Preference">“<em>I</em> have never seen this Lynchpin before!” Andretti declared. “If he wishes to take <em>my</em> family’s foothold here, he can face me himself, not send a child to do his dirty work! Zapp, Char–”</p><p class="Preference">The top throbbed in Killer Bee’s hand, and she stabbed it into Andretti’s chest before he could finish the sentence. “The Lynchpin says, ‘hi,’” she told him with a snort as he froze stock-still, an expression of surprise plastered across his face. A light green Kwami with a protruding mouth and nose phased out of the top drawer of Andretti’s nightstand, its eyes wide open in shock, mouth clamped tightly shut. “Now <em>that</em>’s interesting,” Killer Bee murmured, examining Andretti more closely. Her eyes settled on his pinky ring, and she slid it off his finger. The Kwami disappeared into the ring, and Killer Bee slipped it into a pouch on her waist.</p><p class="Preference">Andretti’s unblinking eyes stared up at her reproachfully.</p><p class="Preference">Killer Bee let out a quiet breath: mission accomplished. She grabbed Andretti and slung him over her shoulder before turning to check the rest of the room. Seeing nothing out of place, she crossed to the balcony door and threw it open. As she looped her top around the balcony railing, she frowned: she could just make out the sound of fighting from the ground. Below her, La Gymnaste appeared to be dueling against a figure in yellow and black who had to be Sent-Bee. And from the high-pitched barking, Sent-Bee had brought the mutt with her, too.</p><p class="Preference">A part of her was tempted to just leave and finish the mission. She had what she needed: she had Andretti. And she had found another miraculous. <em>And</em> Nadine had done what she’s brought her along to do. She’d watched for Killer Bee so the Heroes couldn’t sneak up on her and stop her.</p><p class="Preference">But Killer Bee wasn’t going to miss out on a chance to kick Chloe Bourgeois’ ass when it presented itself.</p><p class="Preference">Killer Bee leapt from the balcony, Andretti over her shoulder, and rode her top string to the ground. She dropped Andretti on the grass verge next to the sidewalk where she would remember him. “Time to give you the beating you deserve, Bourgeois!” she shouted, springing forward and throwing her top at Sent-Bee’s head.</p><p class="Preference">Sent-Bee ducked a swing from La Gymnaste’s staff and looked over when Killer Bee shouted. The top missed wrapping around her neck by centimeters, and Killer Bee had to retract it immediately to avoid garroting her own teammate. “I’m going to wipe that smug look off your face where you stand, thief!” Sent-Bee retorted. She sprang back away from a kick that Killer Bee aimed at her head, and threw her yo-yo around Killer Bee’s ankle. Killer Bee jerked her leg back, and Sent-Bee stumbled forward. La Gymnaste stuck her staff under Sent-Bee’s foot, and she nearly fell to the ground.</p><p class="Preference">So intent was Killer Bee on Sent-Bee that she never saw when the other figure joined the fight. Something hit her in the shoulder, breaking her concentration. She fell sideways and tumbled into a cartwheel, springing back to her feet and twisting in midair to face a stranger wearing a blue dress and holding a blue fan.</p><p class="Preference">“Take care of the new girl!” the newcomer shouted. “I’ve got Killer Bee!” With that she dropped into a fighting stance, holding the fan spread in front of her face, covering all but one eye.</p><p class="Preference">“Oh, you think you’ve <em>got</em> me?” taunted Killer Bee, scoffing derisively. “We’ll see about that!” She threw her top at the new hero, who nimbly spun away, batting the top into the ground with her fan. The new hero raced forward, cutting the distance between them down to almost nothing in a moment and aiming a punch at Killer Bee’s head. Killer Bee blocked the strike with her arm and counterattacked with a sequence of punches and kicks. The newcomer blocked several blows, ducked under a kick, and countered with a kick of her own that Killer Bee jumped backward to avoid.</p><p class="Preference">Across the street, Killer Bee could see La Gymnaste being steadily beaten back under a furious onslaught from Sent-Bee. She swung her staff at Sent-Bee’s head, but she ducked, pulling La Gymnaste off-balance. Sent-Bee spun around and kicked La Gymnaste in the chest, knocking her backward. She tripped over the uneven sidewalk, reached back, and caught herself on one hand, turning the fall into a series of backward one-handed cartwheels ending with an aerial cartwheel, narrowly avoiding repeated sprays of Sent-Bee’s synth-Venom. La Gymnaste landed with her staff held to one side in a flourish. Sent-Bee threw her yo-yo at La Gymnaste, who caught the string around her staff and jerked it out of Sent-Bee’s hands. Her second yo-yo was in her hands in a flash.</p><p class="Preference">“What’s your boss’s plan here tonight?” the new hero demanded, leaping over Killer Bee and aiming a kick at the back of her head. Killer Bee dove forward and brought up her top in a shield, deflecting the flying fan away from herself and back to the newcomer’s hand.</p><p class="Preference">“What do you think we want?” Killer Bee retorted. “We just want peace! Same as you, right?”</p><p class="Preference">The newcomer scoffed, ducking a punch from Killer Bee as she did so. “And I’m sure taking over the arrondissement and its drug business is just a bonus?”</p><p class="Preference">Killer Bee shrugged. “What can I say? Everyone needs a hobby!” Her lips curled into a smirk: she feinted a punch to the right, and when the newcomer moved to avoid the punch she caught her top string around the new hero’s arm. Her eyes widened as Killer Bee jerked her forward and punched her hard in the face, twice. She stumbled backward, blinking in shock, clutching her nose.</p><p class="Preference">“Duchesse!” shouted Sent-Bee from the other side of the street. She shot a glob of her synth-Venom at La Gymnaste, who dove to the side and barely avoided it, and raced over to Killer Bee. Her dog barked excitedly and nipped at La Gymnaste’s ankles, holding her rooted in place under the streetlight and preventing her from helping Killer Bee. La Gymnaste swiped halfheartedly at the dog with her staff, keeping it at bay. Sent-Bee threw a yo-yo at Killer Bee’s head, batting aside the top she’d thrown. “You will regret that!”</p><p class="Preference">Duchesse had by then recovered and fixed Killer Bee with a penetrating glare. “We <em>are</em> going to stop you!”</p><p class="Preference">Killer Bee’s eyes darted between the two heroes in concern. Her miraculous was beeping, indicating no more than three minutes left. With two of them facing off against her and La Gymnaste, the odds were no longer in her favor. Groaning in frustration, she looped her top around Andretti and pulled his immobilized body to herself. She next caught her top around a projection from the roof of the closest building and pulled herself up. La Gymnaste was staring up at her in surprise. Killer Bee hesitated for a moment, then smacked her forehead in realization: if she left La Gymnaste behind, it was all over! The two heroes would explain everything to her, and Nadine would tell them her identity! Without further hesitation, Killer Bee threw her top down to La Gymnaste, who grabbed onto it and allowed Killer Bee to haul her up to the roof.</p><p class="Preference">“We did what we came here to do!” Killer Bee told her, grabbing her around the waist and throwing her over her other shoulder. “Now it’s time to get out of here!”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Any guesses what (Atlantean) Miraculous that was?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="Preference">Sent-Bee bit back a curse as Killer Bee fled, carrying both her partner and Andretti over her shoulders as she jumped from rooftop to rooftop. “Come on! We can still catch them!” she shouted, watching Killer Bee stumble, lose her footing, and nearly fall to the sidewalk below while above a wider street along a telephone wire.</p><p class="Preference">“I’m right behind you,” Duchesse Bleue called. Something in her voice sounded off. Sent-Bee turned to look, and her eyes went wide.</p><p class="Preference">Duchesse Bleue was wobbling unsteadily on her feet, the adrenaline of the fight having started to fade away. A small trickle of blood from a cut on her forehead dripped blood into her eye. Blood ran from her nose. Duchesse Bleue wiped her mouth and winced against her split lip. Sent-Bee rushed over and caught her before she could fall, easing her down to sit on the curb. Bee-atrice hopped up on the curb next to them and nuzzled up against Duchesse Bleue’s side, licking her gloved hand. Duchesse Bleue stroked the top of the puppy’s head, letting out a quiet breath, her head dropping to rest on Sent-Bee’s shoulder. With her other hand she pinched the bridge of her nose.</p><p class="Preference">“Dammit, girl, when were you planning on saying something?” Sent-Bee demanded, pulling a gauze pad out of the first aid kit on her belt and dabbing at the cut over Duchesse Bleue’s eye. “She got you right above where your mask would have protected you.”</p><p class="Preference">Duchesse Bleue waved her hand dismissively, shoving Sent-Bee away. “I’m fine, Chlo,” she insisted, trying to push herself up.</p><p class="Preference">“Do I need to give Pegasus a call and get <em>him</em> to make you sit still for a minute?” Sent-Bee put a hand on her shoulder and pressed her back down. When Duchesse Bleue didn’t struggle, she sat back and gave her a deadpan look. “You’re ridiculous,” she retorted.</p><p class="Preference">Duchesse Bleue hung her head and sighed. “I’m sorry they got away.”</p><p class="Preference">“It’s not your fault,” Sent-Bee told her, putting a bandage over her forehead cut to pull it closed. “I’m sorry I dragged you out here and got you hurt.”</p><p class="Preference">“I’m the one who wanted to come with you,” Duchesse Bleue pointed out, wincing as Sent-Bee handed her another couple gauze pads, one of which she pressed against her split lip, running her tongue across the cut and wincing, and the other of which she wadded up and pushed into her nose. “You didn’t force me to do anything.”</p><p class="Preference">Sent-Bee examined her more closely and frowned. “This is your first time going on patrol, isn’t it? Hell, this is your first time getting into a <em>fight</em>!” She smacked her forehead and groaned, shaking her head in annoyance. “Ugh, forget about <em>you</em>; <em>I</em>’m the ridiculous one!”</p><p class="Preference">“What about that time we stopped the fashion show robbery?” asked Duchesse Bleue, raising an eyebrow. She winced as the movement pulled at the edge of the bandage on her forehead.</p><p class="Preference">Sent-Bee scoffed. “You mean that time Jagged Stone nearly flattened a family?” she replied incredulously. “Guitar Hero and I did all the work; you and the Owl just hung back and did crowd control! Utterly ridiculous,” she muttered under her breath.</p><p class="Preference">Duchesse Bleue shrugged. “Hawk Moth was wrong about a lot of things, but one thing he got right was that the Butterfly Miraculous – and the Peacock, too, for that matter – is at its best when it can operate from the shadows with a team in front of it,” she explained. “There’s only so much I can do by myself as Impératrice Pourpre to stop a robbery or prevent a train derailment; I can do so much more by giving someone else exactly the abilities they need to save the day.”</p><p class="Preference">Sent-Bee groaned. “In other words, this is your first time really fighting, and I let you get your ass handed to you by Killer Goddamn Bee.” Duchesse Bleue’s silence was all the answer she needed. “That’s it: we really need to spar sometime to make sure you’re ready if this ever happens again.”</p><p class="Preference">Duchesse Bleue nodded and leaned back, resting her hands on the sidewalk behind her. Bee-atrice nuzzled up against her hand, whining, and Duchesse Bleue began absently petting her. “I think I’d like that.”</p><p class="Preference">Sent-Bee smirked. “See if you still think that when I’m done with you!” She laughed. “But don’t worry: I promise I’ll go easier on you than Anansi has ever gone on me!” She fell silent, watching as Duchesse Bleue poked at her lip and worried it with her teeth, wincing when it stung. Slowly her nosebleed slowed and stopped. Finally Duchesse Bleue looked up at her.</p><p class="Preference">“That’s not really what’s bothering you,” she observed calmly. “There’s something else that’s on your mind.”</p><p class="Preference">Sent-Bee stared and her in annoyance. “There are times when I really wish I hadn’t recommended giving you a miraculous that lets you sense emotions.”</p><p class="Preference">Duchesse Bleue giggled and arched an eyebrow. “We both know you don’t really mean that!”</p><p class="Preference">“Maybe not,” Sent-Bee conceded, smiling ruefully. “All the same…” She was quiet for a moment before she sighed and explained. “We failed. Lynchpin won tonight.”</p><p class="Preference">Duchesse Bleue nodded, a troubled expression on her face. “Yeah…”</p><p class="Preference">“Did you see? Killer Bee got away with Lorenzo Andretti. That means Lynchpin will be able to consolidate Andretti’s operation with his own. He’ll be back in business selling drugs, and there really isn’t anything we can do about it now. Everything we accomplished over the summer will have been for nothing.” Sent-Bee groaned and slammed her fist on the sidewalk next to her. “Dammit!”</p><p class="Preference">Duchesse Bleue put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently. “Not for nothing. We cut off the drug trade in Paris almost entirely for a month-plus. And we eliminated a few of the sources for Lynchpin’s drugs. <em>And</em> we got rid of his police moles.”</p><p class="Preference">“For now,” Sent-Bee muttered gloomily.</p><p class="Preference">“Even if this lets him start to rebuild, the summer was still worth it.” Duchesse Bleue sighed. “Whatever happens from here, we’ll deal with it as a team.”</p><p class="Preference">“Yeah…” Sent-Bee pulled out her phone. “I suppose we’d better let the police in on the fun.” The new Superhero Liaison Department’s night dispatcher answered immediately. “This is Sent-Bee,” she reported tersely. “There was an abduction in the 17th Arrondissement less than five minutes ago.” She quickly gave the address. “From what we can tell, the victim was Andretti himself. A couple of his guys are unconscious in front of the building.”</p><p class="Preference">The dispatcher repeated the information back promptly. “Unfortunately, we are low on units at the moment. This is the fifth incident that has been reported tonight, all in the same Arrondissement, and the local precinct has been overwhelmed by the calls. It may take a couple minutes before we get our own duty officer to you.”</p><p class="Preference">Sent-Bee arched an eyebrow at Duchesse Bleue, who shrugged. “Take your time,” she replied. “It looks like the excitement’s over anyways. So I guess we’ll just hang out here until he arrives.”</p><p class="Preference">“At least this means the turf war is over?” Duchesse Bleue offered once Sent-Bee had disconnected the call, though without any real enthusiasm.</p><p class="Preference">“The turf war’s over, and Lynchpin has his drugs back.”</p><p class="Preference">“It will still take him some time to consolidate it, at least,” Duchesse Bleue pointed out. She poked at her lip absently. “Anything could happen before all the Andretti people are actually on board with the new management.” Sent-Bee hummed in acknowledgment. “So what was the deal with Killer Bee’s partner?”</p><p class="Preference">Sent-Bee shrugged. “No idea. Never seen her before in my life. But she called herself La Gymnaste, and she really didn’t seem to like me for some reason… What did you get from her?”</p><p class="Preference">“A whole mix of emotions,” answered Duchesse Bleue, furrowing her brows in concentration. “I couldn’t say for sure, but definitely not like I’ve felt from any of the other Lynchpin-ions.”</p><p class="Preference">“She definitely wasn’t a Dark Acolyte,” Sent-Bee observed, frowning. “And she wasn’t using a miraculous. Non-miraculous <em>villain</em>?”</p><p class="Preference">Duchesse Bleue shrugged. “We have some teammates who don’t use miraculous; why shouldn’t they have some, too?”</p><p class="Preference">Sent-Bee hummed in acknowledgment as a police car turned down the street, its dome light flashing, and stopped in front of them. A tall, muscular officer stepped out of the driver’s side and took one look at the two heroes and puppy sitting on the curb, and the trio of unconscious men on the ground around them. “Do I even need to ask?” he asked rhetorically, nudging one of the criminals with his foot. The man blinked dumbly and started to stir, and the officer knelt next to him, planting his knee on the man’s chest. He fumbled one-handed with a pair of handcuffs, and secured his wrists before he had really regained consciousness.</p><p class="Preference">“Probably not, Lieutenant Ramus,” Duchesse Bleue agreed, forcing a chuckle. “But we actually didn’t fight these three. It was Killer Bee, and she wasn’t alone.”</p><p class="Preference">“Damn,” Lieutenant Ramus observed conversationally, snapping the handcuffs shut and testing that they were secure. He removed two more pairs of handcuffs from his holster, and Sent-Bee held out a hand. Lieutenant Ramus shrugged and tossed one pair to her. She caught them easily and quickly slapped them on the second man while he secured the last one. The silver prosthetic on his left forearm caught the light from the working streetlight down the block as he double-checked that the handcuffs were all fastened properly. Finally he nodded to the heroes. “If the two of you need to leave, I can handle these three from here and wait for the regular unis to come and take statements from Andretti’s family.”</p><p class="Preference">“Thank you, Officer,” Sent-Bee told him. She gave Duchesse Bleue a look and nodded toward the south and home. “Not much left for us to do tonight,” she observed glumly, pushing herself up to her feet and securing Bee-atrice in her carrying compartment. She held a hand out to help Duchesse Bleue up.</p><p class="Preference">“Yeah… we may as well head back.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This is the first real appearance of the Superhero Liaison Department that Roger has been forming since the end of <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26066554/chapters/63396316">“The Battle for the Seine.”</a> Lieutenant Ramus actually appeared in that story, though he wasn’t named. I already have at least 1 “Life and Times” one-shot with the Liaison Department appearing in it, and they’ll probably pop up in some “Patrol Logs” as well. If you are interested in seeing more of their inner workings, let me know. I’m thinking about a “procedural” anthology similar to “Patrol Logs” which follows Roger’s team as they deal with super-villains and other unusual phenomena, but I’ll only write it if people are interested in reading something like that. Most likely it would only feature occasional appearances by heroes (primarily Pegasus and Rena Rouge).</p><p>The “fashion show robbery” is a reference to <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23968420/chapters/57648913">“Tit for Tat.”</a></p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="Preference">Killer Bee glanced behind her, half-expecting the new miraculous user to have taken to the rooftops in pursuit. Although she hadn’t gotten a good look at the hero’s suit, something about it had felt… familiar. Perhaps it was the dress: while new heroes seemed to be appearing out of the woodwork, most of them seemed to prefer leggings. Or perhaps it was the fan: it had been a year since the Heroes of Paris reclaimed the Peacock Miraculous, and its weapon had also been a fan – but the Heroes hadn’t put the Peacock back into use. Whatever the case, it didn’t matter at the moment; the new hero wasn’t following her. She was alone on the rooftops. Nevertheless, Killer Bee filed her away for later.</p><p class="Preference">Of course, just because Sent-Bee and her friend weren’t pursuing them didn’t mean they were safe.</p><p class="Preference">Her eyes darted from rooftop to rooftop, looking for some hint of movement to show that other heroes were out. While the other parts of their plan – the attacks on Andretti’s drug dealers – should keep the police and Heroes occupied for a while, bad luck could still cost her this prize if <em>another</em> hero happened to be out for a run. But they appeared to be alone, running across rooftops, Killer Bee’s footsteps the only sounds she could hear apart from La Gymnaste’s breathing. After taking another several turns, crossing through two arrondissements, and doubling back once, she finally looped her top around a chimney and rode it to the ground, placing La Gymnaste on her feet the moment they were down.</p><p class="Preference">“Whew! That was intense!” La Gymnaste observed, giving Killer Bee a wide-eyed look. “But we did it! Right?”</p><p class="Preference">Killer Bee let out a breath and took another look up and down the street. “Yeah,” she agreed, nodding, letting out a relieved breath. “We did it.”</p><p class="Preference">“What do we do now?” asked La Gymnaste, eyeing the immobilized Andretti warily.</p><p class="Preference">“Now?” Killer Bee scoffed. <em>You did your part; be grateful I didn’t let the </em>Heroes<em> get you.</em> Instead she told her, “I have to get this loser to Headquarters before his buddies try to get him back.”</p><p class="Preference">“Can I come with you?” La Gymanste asked, bouncing on the balls of her feet in excitement. “I can’t wait to meet Ladybug!”</p><p class="Preference">Killer Bee smiled widely. “I’ll be sure to ask her for you!” she replied, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “I’ll let her know what a big help you were tonight.” She sighed heavily. “But I can’t slow down for you; Venom could wear off and then he’d be free. So why don’t you meet me there?” La Gymnaste nodded eagerly. “You know the abandoned apartment building two blocks south of the Trocadéro?” La Gymnaste furrowed her brows and cocked her head in confusion. “I’ll meet you out front after clearing it with Ladybug.”</p><p class="Preference">Killer Bee shifted Andretti on her shoulder and raced down the street as fast as she could, the wind blowing through her hair. She tossed out her top and looped it around a balcony railing, pulling herself into the air. She swung from side to side down the street, angling southwest toward the river. As she swung, she finally became aware of the more-insistent beeping of her miraculous. After her escape from Sent-Bee, she was down to less than a minute before she would de-transform. And if that happened… She shuddered at the thought.</p><p class="Preference">With another burst of speed, Killer Bee ran across the Pont Mirabeau, turned right, and found the third warehouse down, away from the riverbank. She pounded on the door as hard as she could, which opened to admit her into the darkened interior a moment before her transformation wore off and Pollen fell into her hand. Andretti shoved her to the side the moment he regained the ability to move. Lila landed on her hands and knees with a cry. Andretti bolted for the still-open door, only for the warehouse guard to stick the barrel of an energy rifle into his face. Lila pushed herself up from the floor and took a step back to lean against the warehouse wall.</p><p class="Preference">“Not so fast, <em>signore</em>,” a quiet voice whispered from the shadows deeper inside the warehouse. Night Bat snapped his fingers, and the lights directly above them turned on. “My employer has need of you. And he would prefer you alive… for now.”</p><p class="Preference">Andretti drew himself up to his full height, staring fearlessly at Night Bat. “Do you expect me to be intimidated so easily?” he asked, eyes narrowed arrogantly. “I have dealt with far worse than <em>you</em> or your <em>Lynchpin</em>!”</p><p class="Preference">Lila snorted in amusement as Night Bat’s eyes flashed maliciously. “You think so?” Night Bat hummed contemplatively, stroking his chin. “And yet a mere teen took you down.” He turned to Lila. “Tell me, girl, was he any trouble?”</p><p class="Preference">Lila scoffed. “Not even a little,” she answered smugly. “Even <em>with</em> his toy!”</p><p class="Preference">Night Bat examined her more closely, frowning. “What ‘toy’?”</p><p class="Preference">Lila reached into her pocket and found the pinky ring that she had stored in her miraculous suit. She held it out to Night Bat, who stared at it in some surprise. He turned to Andretti with a calculating look. “So…” he began, peering into Andretti’s eyes. “<em>La Cosa</em> found a miraculous after all… I wondered if they might…” Andretti frowned in confusion. “Have you ever wondered <em>why</em> the families rose to prominence?” Night Bat asked conversationally. “They tell all sorts of legends, but <em>I</em> was there. They thought that together they could resist <em>me</em>!” He scoffed. “They were wrong. They thought to match my power with power of their own, but I turned their strength against them. Then they sought arcane means of their own.” His eyes trailed down to the miraculous. “I suppose they must have succeeded.”</p><p class="Preference">“The Eel Miraculous has been in my family for four generations!” Andretti declared proudly. “My ancestor used it to take over his territory, and my family has used it since then to hold onto our power.”</p><p class="Preference">“He sought it to prevent <em>my</em> return,” Night Bat corrected, sneering. “But now I will turn the Mafia’s prized weapon to my own purposes.”</p><p class="Preference">“I am not afraid of <em>you</em>,” retorted Andretti.</p><p class="Preference">“Hmm… perhaps you aren’t afraid of <em>me</em>,” Night Bat agreed, smiling ominously. “But there is something you fear. Even the worst – even the Pol Pots and the Hitlers feared something. And they in turn provided me with such… fertile minds to exploit and corrupt.”</p><p class="Preference">Andretti backed away from Night Bat, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. He bumped into the guard standing behind him, who shoved him forward. His eyes widened fractionally as he found himself face-to-face with Night Bat, with nowhere to go.</p><p class="Preference">“You see,” Night Bat continued in a conversational tone, “that is my… gift. To exploit and enhance your negative characteristics. To identify your greatest vulnerability and bring that to the forefront. Are you consumed with anger and hatred, Lorenzo Andretti?” He examined him closely, peering deeply into his eyes. “No, perhaps not. Nor are you a coward. Hmm… your weakness is not greed or lust…” His eyes lit up and he placed a hand on Andretti’s forehead. “But… yes… Kiss of Death!”</p><p class="Preference">Andretti’s eyes had widened in fear with each word Night Bat spoke. The pupils constricted to tiny pinpricks as Night Bat’s power coursed into him. His mouth fell open, his eyeballs rolling back into his sockets, his back arching in a silent scream. Finally he fell to his knees, gasping and panting for breath. Lila jumped back away from him, eyes wide in horror. She had thought that Hawk Moth was bad, that his ability to latch onto a person’s negative emotions and manipulate them into doing his bidding with promises of power was true power – she had worked with him willingly for a chance to claim that power for herself. But she had been nothing but a naïve schoolgirl. Night Bat… <em>he</em> could reduce a grown man to a quivering wreck with a word.</p><p class="Preference">“Please… I–I’ll do whatever you ask… just… make it stop!” Andretti pleaded. He fell over onto his side and hugged his knees to his chest, whimpering.</p><p class="Preference">“So little…” Night Bat clucked his tongue in disappointment. He let out a sigh, and Andretti instantly stilled, breathing raggedly. “I will not remove it <em>entirely</em>,” Night Bat told him, grabbing his hair and pulling his head back roughly, forcing Andretti to look him in the eye. “You will continue to feel some of the pain… as a reminder of who you now work for.”</p><p class="Preference">“Y–yes, sir.” Andretti’s shoulders sagged in defeat.</p><p class="Preference">Night Bat smiled maliciously and handed the ring back to him. “I will return this to you, but <em>you</em> now serve <em>me</em>.” Andretti nodded. “You will only use this as <em>I</em> command you to. Any resistance or disobedience will not be tolerated.” Andretti nodded, eyes wide. “You love your children – think of them – and of what I will do <em>to</em> them – any time you are tempted to betray me.” Andretti swallowed hard but acquiesced, dropping his head to stare at the ground.</p><p class="Preference">Lila swallowed hard against the lump forming in her throat. “Um… do you still need me?” she asked hesitantly, staring at Night Bat with wide eyes.</p><p class="Preference">Night Bat glanced over at her in surprise. “No… not at the <em>moment</em>, at least,” he informed her. “You served your purpose tonight.” As Lila was about to leave he cleared his throat. “But don’t worry,” he added ominously. “I will have further… use… for you. Eventually.”</p><p class="Preference">Lila nodded vigorously before quickly backing out of the warehouse door. Only when the door was closed again did she finally turn her attention back to the Kwami sitting in her hand. She rooted around in her pocket to find a snack for Pollen and finally came up with a granola bar. Pollen ate quietly without taking her eyes off of Lila.</p><p class="Preference">“What’s that look for?” demanded Lila, glaring down at the Kwami.</p><p class="Preference">“You put your friend in danger,” Pollen replied quietly. “You got her in trouble. And all for a lie?”</p><p class="Preference">“That’s what <em>subjection</em> is about, isn’t it?” Lila retorted. “Exerting your influence over another person to get what you want out of them.”</p><p class="Preference">Pollen sighed and shook her head, patting Lila’s palm with one paw. “Lila, you have a poor understanding of subjection if you think that is the extent of it,” she commented, giving her a pitying look. “That is <em>subjugation</em>, not <em>subjection</em>. <em>Subjection</em> is about influencing another person, yes, but the purpose is for their good. Used properly, subjection is not <em>self</em>-serving but rather <em>other</em>-serving – even when it hurts in the short term. Is what you did to your friend tonight really serving her? Is it really for her good?”</p><p class="Preference">Lila frowned. “I can’t exactly stop now, can I? And anyways, Nadine didn’t get hurt, and she got the fun experience of playing hero, just like she wanted.” Pollen opened her mouth to argue the point further, but Lila transformed and launched herself into the air. She swung a couple blocks north to the river, where she looped her top around a tree, swung around it several times to build up her momentum, and launched herself into the air and over the river. She raced north and east as fast as she could go until he reached the abandoned building she had described to La Gymnaste. She landed on the roof and dropped to the ground moments before La Gymnaste jogged into view. She took one look at Killer Bee and ran up to her, smiling broadly.</p><p class="Preference">“Is this when I get to meet Ladybug?” she asked, hands clasped, giggling like a schoolgirl.</p><p class="Preference">Killer Bee put her hand on La Gymnaste’s shoulder. “Not tonight,” she told her, screwing her face up into a look of pure disappointment. “I tried – I really did!” she wailed. “And Ladybug <em>is</em> interested in letting you join the team! But she was adamant: you still need to prove yourself.” Seeing the disappointed look on La Gymnaste’s face, she rushed to console her. “It’s not that you’ll <em>never</em> get to meet her, but Ladybug insisted. You need some practice first, before we can let you onto the team officially.”</p><p class="Preference">La Gymnaste’s face fell. “Okay,” she finally said. “I – I guess that’s fair…” She brightened. “But I’ll get to meet her soon?”</p><p class="Preference">Killer Bee sighed and nodded. “Soon. And until then we’ll be working together a lot more so I can test you and make sure you’re really <em>hero</em> material.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="Preference">Two days later, Chloe jogged down the lycée’s front steps into the bright sunlight as her lunch break began. It was the first day of the new school year, with all the emotions that brought: the sadness of summer’s end, the excitement of a new year and new classes (though Chloe would never admit to that), the bittersweet realization that this was her last year in school with her friends. Sabrina was already waiting for her on the sidewalk, tapping her foot impatiently, standing just off to the side from a group of other students who were also leaving campus for lunch.</p><p class="Preference">“Max isn’t joining us today?” Chloe asked, glancing back at the school expectantly.</p><p class="Preference">Sabrina held up her phone and shook her head. “He said he was going to eat here and visit the library.”</p><p class="Preference">Chloe arched an eyebrow. “Not that I’m complaining about being spared turning into a third wheel, but what kind of homework could he need to study for <em>already</em>?”</p><p class="Preference">“You realize he’s said the same thing about you, right?” Sabrina giggled. “Considering our ‘extracurricular activities,’ getting a jump on homework as early as possible is probably a good idea,” she pointed out. “Plus, the classes are all harder this year. The reading list almost makes me wish I hadn’t taken M. Pecquet’s Psychology elective.”</p><p class="Preference">“Serves you right for taking <em>challenging</em> classes!” Chloe chuckled.</p><p class="Preference">“Emilie thinks Psychology could be helpful for me, another way to work through and analyze the emotions I sense,” explained Sabrina. “She also suggested that I should look into auditing a couple Counseling classes at Descartes this year.”</p><p class="Preference">Chloe gave her a look. “That sounds like a lot of extra work. Is that what <em>you</em> want?”</p><p class="Preference">“I’m not sure,” admitted Sabrina. Her hand drifted to the brooch pinned to her shirt. “I can help so many people with this – and not just the normal way. If I go into counseling or psychology, I can help people as myself – more than I already do, I mean.”</p><p class="Preference">“Just don’t take on too much,” Chloe warned, frowning. “Looking at the <em>rest</em> of our friends, we don’t need <em>you</em> working yourself into a nervous breakdown, too!”</p><p class="Preference">“I’ll be careful,” Sabrina assured her. “I’m not building a space fleet or anything; I’m taking night classes!”</p><p class="Preference">“Okay…” Chloe shrugged. “Can you believe how much work Mme Cartan expects from us in Calculus this year?” She shook her head in disgust. “It’s ridiculous!”</p><p class="Preference">Sabrina giggled. “I suppose you want a few more study sessions with Max and me this year, then?”</p><p class="Preference">“Yeah…” Chloe smirked. “Maybe that way the two of you will actually get some <em>studying</em> done!”</p><p class="Preference">Sabrina rolled her eyes. “We study plenty,” she argued. “<em>You</em>’re the one who’s always scrolling Instagram!”</p><p class="Preference">“Uh huh.” Chloe arched an eyebrow. “And that time I went to get a snack and came back three minutes later to find you ‘studying’ Max’s eyes, you were working on <em>Biology</em> homework.”</p><p class="Preference">Sabrina blushed. “That happened <em>once</em>!”</p><p class="Preference">“That I was there for.” Chloe’s grin faltered on seeing the look in Sabrina’s eyes. “No, I’m glad,” she assured her. “I’m glad you’ve got someone who cares about you this much. I’m glad he makes you happy.”</p><p class="Preference">Sabrina elbowed her in the ribs playfully. “You’re still my best friend, even if I <em>do</em> spend a lot more time with Max. Nothing’s going to change that,” she promised.</p><p class="Preference">“Oh, I know. I’m just–”</p><p class="Preference">“You don’t have to say it,” Sabrina interrupted, her lips pulling up into a smirk. She winced as the movement pulled at her still-healing lower lip.</p><p class="Preference">“How does it feel?” asked Chloe, pursing her lips. For as much as she understood Marinette’s reluctance to use Miraculous Ladybug on everything, she sometimes wished their Ladybug would just fix everything.</p><p class="Preference">Sabrina sighed. “It’s fine as long as I don’t smile too much.”</p><p class="Preference">“Oooh, you hurt your lip?” Chloe turned to find Lila, Nadine, and Mireille all standing there, walking in the opposite direction. Chloe fought the urge to roll her eyes on hearing the false sympathy in Lila’s voice – so obvious when she knew to listen for it. “I’m so sorry to hear that! You know, there’s this amazing lip balm that can sort that right out! I can ask the inventor to send you a sample.”</p><p class="Preference">Chloe pursed her lips to avoid a reaction. Right; Lila would definitely do that, right after finding a buyer for the Arc de Triomphe!</p><p class="Preference">“So… what happened to your lip?” Nadine asked, a worried look in her eyes.</p><p class="Preference">“I guess Max got a little carried away the other night,” Sabrina replied, her cheeks turning a little pink.</p><p class="Preference">Lila eyed her suspiciously. “<em>Max</em> did that,” she deadpanned.</p><p class="Preference">Sabrina shrugged. “What can I say? Some guys really know how to kiss!” Her eyes crinkled in amusement. “Too bad you don’t know anything about that!”</p><p class="Preference">Before she could stop herself, Chloe let out a snort, almost doubling over in laughter. She caught a brief glimpse of the outrage on Lila’s face before Sabrina dragged her further along, away from Lila and her friends. Chloe hurried to keep up with her, took one look at Sabrina’s face, and let out another chuckle. “So, does <em>Max</em> know how good of a kisser he apparently is?” she asked, arching an eyebrow at Sabrina. “Also do I <em>want</em> to know how he’s supposed to have given you a split lip by <em>kissing</em>? It’s a good thing the cut on your forehead healed so fast; I’d hate to know how you would have explained <em>that</em> away with ‘Max is a good kisser’!”</p><p class="Preference">Sabrina snorted. “I had to tell her <em>something</em>… and yes,” she added, flushing. “He does know he’s the best boy I’ve ever kissed.”</p><p class="Preference">Chloe scoffed. “Not much of a competition. Does he know he’s also the <em>only</em> boy you’ve ever kissed?” Sabrina jabbed her in the side playfully. Chloe sighed wistfully, staring off into the distance and grinning. “I wish I’d taken a picture of Lila’s face when you said that.” She cocked her head in confusion and took a closer look at Sabrina. It wasn’t much, but the way her eyebrows knitted together… “What’s wrong?”</p><p class="Preference">“I… don’t know,” Sabrina admitted, frowning. “But I’ve been thinking about the other night.”</p><p class="Preference">“What about it?”</p><p class="Preference">“La Gymnaste,” Sabrina explained. “I thought something about her emotions felt wrong, and I think I might have an idea what it was. I felt it again today with Lila and her friends.”</p><p class="Preference">Chloe raised an eyebrow in invitation. “How did they feel wrong?”</p><p class="Preference">“That’s the thing: they didn’t. Her emotions didn’t feel like those of a villain.” Sabrina frowned, studying the sidewalk as they walked. “It’s a weird disconnect. Just now, with Lila and Nadine and Mireille, Lila felt her usual blend of arrogance, jealousy, and malicious pleasure – plus a spike of rage while we were walking away. But Nadine and Mireille didn’t feel anything like that. Instead, they felt concern, sympathy – the kinds of emotions I expect in that situation from someone who just noticed that someone was hurt, or at least from someone capable of empathy.</p><p class="Preference">“It was the same the other night. Killer Bee… <em>her</em> emotions were clear: she was excited, she took pleasure in what she was doing, reveled in the thrill of fighting me, and really wanted to hurt <em>you</em> when she fought you – no surprise there! She enjoyed abducting Andretti. Exactly the emotions you would expect from a Lynchpin-ion. But La Gymnaste didn’t feel any of that. It was a little thing – the kind of nuance that I don’t normally pick up with Nooroo – no offense,” she muttered to her purse. “But with Duusu I did pick it up. She felt excited, also, but the <em>kind</em> of excitement was different. It was the same excitement I sense from you or Rose or Kagami when you are out on patrol. The excitement of doing something worthwhile to help people. She felt concern for Killer Bee, even though Killer Bee felt little for her. Her emotions were far more altruistic than any of the other Lynchpin-ions we’ve encountered. If anything, her emotions were more in line with what I expect from a <em>hero</em> than what I’ve felt from a <em>villain</em>.”</p><p class="Preference">“Huh.” Chloe furrowed her eyebrows in contemplation. “So you’re saying that she thought she was being a hero? But if that’s the case, why team up with Killer Bee and fight against <em>us</em>?”</p><p class="Preference">Sabrina shrugged. “No idea. But from what my dad said, last night was the first time in weeks that there wasn’t any violence in the 17th Arrondissement between Andretti and Lynchpin. So I suppose in that sense what Killer Bee did two nights ago <em>did</em> help protect people.”</p><p class="Preference">Chloe scoffed. “I’ll try to contain my excitement.”</p><p class="Preference">“I’m just saying–”</p><p class="Preference">“I know,” Chloe interrupted irritably. “But I would be a little happier if this didn’t mean Lynchpin and that bitch who’s using my miraculous had won.”</p><p class="Preference">“But she didn’t – not really.”</p><p class="Preference">Chloe stared at Sabrina in surprise. “But she got Andretti. Lynchpin has his drugs back. Everything we did over the summer… undone in a single night.”</p><p class="Preference">“Not quite.” Sabrina pushed the café door open and led the way to a table near the back of the room. She lowered her voice below the volume of the conversations around them. Chloe leaned forward to hear. “Max and Alya spent most of yesterday combing the data on Andretti’s operation – we had a ton on them already but hadn’t done anything with it.”</p><p class="Preference">“So we had the information and didn’t do anything with it?” Chloe scoffed. “This just keeps getting better and better.”</p><p class="Preference">“Not much <em>to</em> do with it at the time,” Sabrina replied. “We’re not exactly in the ‘anti-drug business’ here; we’re in the ‘anti-Lynchpin business.’ But it turns out that two of Andretti’s lieutenants were killed last week in a drive-by, and another was one of the men we arrested two nights ago. That’s on top of the people he lost in the turf war.”</p><p class="Preference">“So he’s hurting.” Chloe fell silent as the server brought their food.</p><p class="Preference">Sabrina nodded. “And that means that although Andretti is home already – King Monkey and Sk8r Girl saw him putting his kids to bed last night – he’ll need to rebuild a <em>lot</em> before he can start selling again. And while they haven’t figured out how he moves his drugs, Max estimates that he’s only ever been able to match maybe a tenth of Lynchpin’s volume.”</p><p class="Preference">Chloe sighed. “It still feels like we lost.” She eyed Sabrina’s lip. “<em>That</em>’s a pretty good reminder.”</p><p class="Preference">Sabrina nodded regretfully, fingering her still-puffy lip. “But whatever happens now, we’ll face it as a team.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lila seethed as she stalked up the lycée steps. Where did that bitch get off implying that Lila couldn’t find a boy to kiss her? She could have almost anyone she wanted! The only reason Adrien had abandoned her was because that prissy prudish <em>hero</em> Ladybug had interfered! And then that good-for-nothing Vindictive Bitch had gotten her claws into him and wouldn’t let go. Not that Lila exactly <em>wanted</em> Pretty Boy Agreste anymore. Still, she would gain so much satisfaction from hogtying Ladybug in her own yo-yo and then stringing her up from the Eiffel Tower with her top one of these days. Maybe she could do the same with Pretty Boy and the Vindictive Bitch while she was at it. That the Queen Bitch would be joining them was already a foregone conclusion.</p><p>“What was that all about?” Nadine wondered, giving Lila a confused look.</p><p>Lila shook her head and shrugged. “I’m not sure.”</p><p>“It’s too bad you and Chloe couldn’t be friends,” Mireille commented. “You have so much in common.”</p><p>Lila stifled an amused snort. <em>You have no idea.</em> “That’s all I’ve ever wanted is to be friends,” she said instead, folding her arms and frowning. “But <em>Chloe</em> has just never liked me!”</p><p>Nadine hummed. “It’s not <em>your</em> fault that Chloe decided not to like you. I’m sure she’s just jealous of how much your mutual friend really <em>trusts</em> you now!”</p><p>It was only with a  herculean effort that Lila schooled her features to avoid a reaction. What if Mireille really <em>was</em> one of the Heroes of Paris looked too closely? She had to nip this in the bud. Lila quickly shook her head. “I have no idea what you mean!”</p><p>Mireille cocked her head and stared at them. “Well, maybe if you and Chloe gave it another shot you might be able to get along,” she suggested. She glanced at her watch and turned toward the lockers. “I need to pick up my books for Literature, so I’ll see you two later!”</p><p>Nadine waved as she walked away, but Lila immediately grabbed Nadine’s arm and pulled her into a deserted classroom. “What was that about?” she demanded, eyes flaring with anger.</p><p>“What–” Nadine yelped before Lila cut her off.</p><p>“You know what I mean!” she seethed.</p><p>Nadine stared at her in confusion. “You mean with Ladybug?” she asked. “But you haven’t exactly made much of a secret of your friendship with her.”</p><p>“Not that,” Lila corrected icily. “The <em>way</em> you talked about it. What if Mireille had made the same connection <em>you</em> did? What would have happened then?”</p><p>“Maybe then <em>she</em> could have joined us, too!” Nadine suggested. “How awesome would <em>that</em> have been?” She furrowed her brows. “Wouldn’t it be awesome to have more help?”</p><p>“Only if it’s the <em>right</em> help,” Lila told her, an angry edge to her voice. “What if <em>Mireille</em> was that miraculous user with Chloe two nights ago?”</p><p>Nadine shook her head slowly, not taking her eyes off Lila. “It didn’t <em>look</em> like her.”</p><p>“Maybe not,” Lila acknowledged. “But all the same, we don’t know <em>who</em>’s on Night Bat’s side. It could be anyone! <em>Everyone</em> is a suspect! So you can’t tell <em>anyone</em> that we’re actually working with Ladybug.”</p><p>“But–but <em>you</em> told everyone you’re Ladybug’s best friend,” Nadine pointed out. “Why can’t I?”</p><p><em>Because you’ll mess it up.</em> “Because Ladybug gave me permission to say that much. But you can’t say anything about her trusting me with a miraculous – or even suggest it,” Lila warned her. “If you do that, Ladybug will know she can’t trust <em>you</em>, and then you’ll never get to meet her!”</p><p>“Okay…” Nadine agreed slowly, frowning. “But that still doesn’t explain why Chloe hates you so much.”</p><p>Lila shrugged. “I haven’t a clue why Chloe wouldn’t like me,” she replied, her lip quivering with barely-restrained tears. “But whatever the reason, that must have rubbed off on Sabrina.” That was a thought to consider: could Sabrina be a hero? Her association with Chloe would suggest it as a possibility, but somehow Lila couldn’t see her having the right disposition or personality to be one of the Heroes of Paris. But…</p><p>Nadine scoffed. “But you’re a hero!”</p><p>Lila smiled – hearing someone say that so earnestly would never get old – then gasped, staring at Nadine wide-eyed. “Maybe <em>that</em>’s what it is! She <em>knows</em> and now she’s jealous because I have a miraculous! But… <em>Ladybug</em> couldn’t have told her… No one’s supposed to know!” She narrowed her eyes at Nadine in fear. “<em>Did</em> she hear it from you? <em>You</em>’re the only other person who knows!”</p><p>Nadine gasped. “I already told you!” she yelped, shaking her head insistently. “Of course not! She would never hear it from me!” she promised, shaking her head adamantly.</p><p>“If she <em>did</em> hear it from you, everyone would be at risk!” Lila warned.</p><p>“She wouldn’t!” Nadine promised, her lip quivering.</p><p>“Good… that’s good,” Lila told her, taking a slow breath. She placed a hand on Nadine’s shoulder and squeezing. Nadine winced. “Remember, you can’t tell anyone – and I mean <em>anyone</em> – about any of this, but especially about the other night. People’s lives could be at stake!”</p><p>“What about Philippe?” she asked, a troubled look in her eyes. “I–I tell him everything.”</p><p>Lila shook her head, her lips falling down into a frown. <em>Opportunity.</em> It wasn’t that she <em>dis</em>liked Nadine’s boyfriend, per se, but… “Absolutely not. When I say no one, I mean <em>no one</em>! What if Philippe decided he was done with you and wanted to hurt you?”</p><p>“He would never!”</p><p>Lila arched an eyebrow. “Never?” Seeing Nadine’s face fall she shrugged. “Well, maybe not. But still, there’s always the possibility…”</p><p>Nadine scrunched up her mouth anxiously. “But…”</p><p>“I’m just trying to protect you,” Lila told her.</p><p>“I… I guess…” She sighed heavily but nodded. “But it’s just… I’m not good at lying.”</p><p>“Well, you’d better figure out how,” Lila warned her. “Because if the wrong people find out about me or about you, then <em>we’ll</em> be in danger, my <em>mother</em> will be in danger, <em>your</em> family will be in danger – even <em>Philippe</em> could be in danger!”</p><p>Nadine’s eyes widened. “I promise, I won’t say a word to anyone!” she yelped.</p><p>Lila relaxed, wrapping an arm around Nadine and pulling her in close. “Good. That’s good. And maybe Chloe doesn’t know yet. But all the same, she definitely isn’t taking the loss of her miraculous very well.”</p><p>“That must be why she was trying to stop us the other night,” Nadine agreed, frowning. She brightened. “Still, it was so much fun going on patrol with you!”</p><p>“I am very glad you were there!” Lila assured her, truthfully. If Nadine hadn’t been there to keep Sent-Bee occupied, what might have happened? She probably wouldn’t have escaped with Andretti if she’d had to fight the Heroes two against one. La Gymnaste had certainly proven her value.</p><p>“Especially since that other miraculous user appeared,” continued Nadine. She frowned. “I didn’t get a good look at her. Who was that? Was she someone you’ve fought before?”</p><p>“I really don’t know,” Lila answered, shaking her head. “I didn’t recognize her, either, and I’ve met every villain with a miraculous in Paris! She must be someone new, with a new miraculous that Night Bat found somewhere.” She sighed dramatically. “Ladybug will be so disappointed to find out that Chloe must have joined Night Bat’s team. She had hoped that Chloe would take the loss of her miraculous a little better, that she would try to become a better person. But I guess that was too much to hope for someone like Chloe Bourgeois.”</p><p>“That’s so sad!” Nadine’s face fell. “What can we do about it?”</p><p>Lila put her finger on her chin in thought. “It really is too bad that Chloe went over,” she admitted, giving Nadine a sidelong glance. “I mean, she could say anything to Night Bat. She could even lead Night Bat straight to us!”</p><p>“But if she could lead Night Bat to <em>us</em>,” Nadine pointed out, “couldn’t she also lead <em>us</em> to Night Bat?”</p><p>Lila smiled excitedly. “Exactly! Why didn’t I think of that? Ladybug would be so thrilled if you could watch Chloe and find out where she goes and who she meets! That might break this wide open!”</p><p>“Would that be enough for me to meet Ladybug?”</p><p>“Maybe,” Lila agreed. “It would definitely help. But Ladybug still wants me to test you a little more and take you on a few more missions first before we can really bring you on board.”</p><p>“I can’t wait!” Nadine enthused as she raced out of the room to go to her next class.</p><p>“Don’t worry,” Lila muttered to herself as she left to find her own class. “I will have further use for you.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This is the end of “A Bees’ Life.” The next story up is “Guys’ Day Out,” but I have a few new “Life and Times” and “Fridge” one-shots first. Nadine/La Gymnaste will show up again…</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>There’s a reason the Heroes haven’t been overly concerned about Pollen divulging secrets to the bad guys, despite knowing every single (pre-Spring Break) hero’s identity and the location of their headquarters…</p></blockquote></div></div>
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